Jordan Bardella is the charismatic 28-year-old leader of France's far-right National Rally, who has successfully revitalised the party's image, which had long been tarnished by racism and anti-Semitism. Under his leadership, the National Rally, led by three-time former presidential candidate Marine Le Pen, has experienced unprecedented growth, achieving record-breaking scores in the recent European election. Bardella has said he will refuse to become prime minister if he does not have the support of 289 out of the National Assembly's 577 members. In a country where most politicians come from rich families, his story of being raised by a single mother in the crime-blighted Seine-Saint-Denis area northeast of Paris also struck a chord with many voters.
