Amid the paté stalls and wine-tastings of a country fair, a young politician hailed as the new face of the French far right was jostled by crowds shouting for photographs and handing him tricolour flags to autograph. “Rockstar!” shouted one 18-year-old.
Jordan Bardella, 28, who as president of Marine Le Pen’s National Rally party (Rassemblement National) has one of the biggest TikTok followings in French politics, never says no to a selfie with teenage fans, flashing his well-rehearsed smile. “Unlike Emmanuel Macron, our party never lost touch with the French people,” he said.
