On March 20, 2025, a heated debate unfolded on the set of "Touche Pas À Mon Poste" (TPMP) as Jordan Bardella, the president of the Rassemblement National (RN), faced off against Thomas Guénolé, a former member of the leftist party La France Insoumise (LFI). The clash was ignited by Guénolé’s strong call for the ban of the RN, sparking a tense exchange between the two political figures.
During the debate, Guénolé reiterated his position that the RN should be dissolved, arguing that the party fits all the criteria outlined by Umberto Eco that define fascism. The criteria he mentioned included nationalism, ethnicism, xenophobia, virilism, a cult of tradition, and a rejection of the rule of law. He stated, “You meet the criteria for forbidding a political party in the case of inciting hatred, because you personally, by the way, talk about migratory submersion. You categorize a segment of the population as invaders towards the French.”
This accusation of inciting hatred was not taken lightly. Bardella quickly attempted to defend his party's platform, denying that the RN fosters hate while challenging Guénolé’s political history to undermine his credibility. “You were a supporter of Jean-Luc Mélenchon,” Bardella retorted, to which Guénolé responded, “Not at all, I was in LFI for a total of a year and a half.”
The confrontation escalated further when Guénolé challenged Bardella about his expected trip to Israel, posing a provocative question about the exclusion of Frédéric Boccaletti from the RN. Boccaletti was previously the owner of an anti-Semitic bookstore. Guénolé pressed Bardella, asking, “Before going to Israel, are you going to exclude from the Rassemblement National the deputy who was the former owner of an anti-Semitic bookstore specialized in selling anti-Semitic and denialist works?”
In response, Bardella defended the RN's legitimacy, insisting that many Jewish citizens see the party as a protective shield against threats such as Hamas. He claimed, “I can tell you that many of our Jewish compatriots consider the Rassemblement National to be a shield against the ideology of Hamas which not only has killed in Israel but is currently threatening the daily safety of our Jewish compatriots.”
The debate highlighted the deep rifts in French politics with profound implications for its social landscape. Bardella maintained that the RN captures a significant portion of public sentiment, noting the party secured 37% of the vote in recent elections. He argued, “There are people in our country who agree with our discourse.”
Despite these defenses, Guénolé remained unyielding, accusing Bardella of using political platitudes that failed to address the core issues at hand. He warned that the RN’s rhetoric not only poses a risk to social cohesion but also potentially violates laws against inciting hatred.
Moreover, Guénolé underlined the historical roots of the RN in Greece’s contested political past, arguing that the party’s origins are intertwined with fascism. He stated that the RN fulfills what Eco described as fascism by listing its associates: “Its founding vice-president was a former member of the Vichy Militia, its founding treasurer was a former Waffen-SS officer, and its founding secretary-general was the leader of the fascist organization Occident.”
The RN's contentious reputation continues to haunt it, not just in terms of its historical connections but also due to recent controversies. In 2023, two associates of Marine Le Pen, Axel Loustau and Olivier Duguet, were reported to have attended a neo-Nazi demonstration in Paris, further fueling debates on the party’s extremist affiliations.
As tensions continued to simmer, Bardella urged a broader understanding of his party’s platform, emphasizing the need for socio-political dialogue in addressing France's pressing issues, particularly those concerning security and immigration. He argued against the narrative that the RN incites hostility, expressing that the party instead represents those who feel unheard in the political landscape. “Today, there are French people who consider that the Rassemblement National is a credible political alternative for protecting everyone's security,” he asserted.
This heated exchange is set against the backdrop of Bardella's upcoming official visit to Israel on March 26-27, where he will meet with officials as the RN continues to navigate its complex identity amidst criticisms and growing tensions within the country.
The trajectory for the Rassemblement National remains uncertain as it continues to be embroiled in controversy over its position on critical national issues. With ongoing debates like the one witnessed on TPMP, the party’s strategies, message, and electoral viability will be continually scrutinized in both political and public arenas.
