"Things are going very well" between Le Pen and Bardella, assures the vice-president of the RN, refuting any war of the leaders

"The 2027 objective is the victory of the ideas of the National Rally, championed by Marine Le Pen, and if she cannot do so (in the event of ineligibility, editor's note), championed by Jordan Bardella," commented Sébastien Chenu, guest of the RTL/Le Figaro/Public Sénat/M6 Grand Jury, on Sunday.

"There is no mystery with us, we act with complete transparency," he added.

But the short sentence released on Thursday by the far-right leader, some 17,000 kilometers from Paris, has caused a lot of ink to flow.

Asked whether Jordan Bardella would be at her side to potentially participate in a meeting at the Élysée Palace in mid-June on the institutional future of New Caledonia, the Pas-de-Calais MP dismissed the question: "I'm not sure that Jordan, for once, knows the problems of New Caledonia very well (...) we share our talents."

The person concerned reacted quickly from Beaucaire (Gard), assuring that he was "very familiar" with overseas issues, while minimizing a statement "taken out of context."

The following day, the leader of the RN deputies clarified that she did not want to "take a swipe" at Jordan Bardella, but to make "an observation": "I have been following all the debates on New Caledonia for the past two years," she stressed, reiterating her "total confidence" in the party president.

The front page of Valeurs actuelles - which features a smiling Jordan Bardella on the cover, with the headline "Objective 2027", accompanied by an IFOP study according to which the young heir apparent already has the stature to be president according to 41% of French people - also caused some gnashing of teeth.

Marine Le Pen was sentenced at first instance to a five-year immediate ineligibility period in the case of parliamentary assistants to RN MEPs.

His appeal hearing will take place next year with a decision due in summer 2026.