Princess and luxury giant in French election campaign
Published 06.00
In a year, France could have a president from the far right.
Big companies are lining up to influence the National Rally – whose crown prince is hoping for a boost from a princess.
“The idyll that no one expected” proclaims the front page headline when the weekly magazine Paris-Match goes all out to tell about the love affair that the whole of France is now talking about.
“Their elegance stands out. . . Jeans for him, with a navy blue sweater, shirt and tie . . . tight-fitting blouse for her, light heels and high-waisted trousers that hug her perfect figure,” the newspaper writes impressed.
He is Jordan Bardella – 30-year-old party leader of the National Rally (RN) and a possible candidate in a year as French prime minister or even president.
She is Maria Carolina of Bourbon and the Two Sicilies – 22-year-old model and influencer, and eldest daughter of the heir and pretender to the throne of the dormant kingdoms of Naples and Sicily.
Support from Arnaut?
The publication takes place at a time when the National Rally’s long-time figurehead Marine Le Pen is still waiting for a court ruling to determine whether or not she can run in the presidential election. If she is stopped, Jordan Bardella is likely to become the main favorite in the April 2027 election.
The fact that he and his girlfriend are now appearing in Paris-Match is also seen as a clear sign of support from the newspaper’s owner, Bernard Arnault.
“Arnault decides everything and here he has decided to normalize the far right,” one of the newspaper’s journalists says anonymously to the television channel France Info.
Arnault is France's richest man, chairman and CEO of luxury giant LVMH, with brands such as Moët & Chandon, Louis Vuitton, Dior and Hennessy.
Dinner with Le Pen
Arnault and a number of other big businessmen have also recently had a fine dinner with Marine Le Pen - a sign that big business is preparing for the National Rally to come to power.
- We need to talk to them now so that the next president of France is aware of what to expect when he or she arrives at the Élysée Palace, a business executive explains anonymously to the newspaper Le Figaro.
Last week's dinner will also be followed by a lunch with Bardella on Monday.
However, not all companies are delighted. The CEO of one of the largest companies on the Paris Stock Exchange warns that France's market image will be shattered if the National Rally takes over.
– We must do everything we can to prevent the far-right from taking power, the CEO tells Le Figaro anonymously.
FACTS
Le Pen and Bardella
In 2011, Marine Le Pen (born 1968) took over the far-right National Front party – renamed the National Rally in 2021 – from her father and party founder Jean-Marie. Le Pen came second to Emmanuel Macron in the last two presidential elections in 2017 and 2022, but has been disqualified from running in next year's election for the time being after being convicted in court of fraud with EU subsidies.
Jordan Bardella (born 1995) took over as party leader from Le Pen in 2021. He has been in the European Parliament since 2019, where he is group leader of the far-right PFE group, which also brings together, among others, Hungarian Fidesz, Dutch PVV and Danish People's Party. If Le Pen is allowed to run and wins the presidential election, she is expected to appoint Bardella as prime minister.
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