Voters in the first constituency of the Ardennes vote on Sunday to elect their deputy in a by-election. Jordan Bardella, president of the National Rally, traveled to the Ardennes this Wednesday, December 4, 2024 as part of the second round campaign of his party's candidate, Jordan Duflot, who came well in the lead. He was the guest of ICI 12/13.
The essentials of the day: our exclusive selection
Every day, our editorial team reserves the best regional news for you. A selection just for you, to stay in touch with your regions.
France Télévisions uses your email address to send you the newsletter “The essentials of the day: our exclusive selection”. You can unsubscribe at any time via the link at the bottom of this newsletter. Our privacy policy
The president of the National Rally, Jordan Bardella, was in the Ardennes this Wednesday, December 4, to support Jordan Duflot, qualified for the second round of the legislative by-election in the first constituency.
The RN candidate came very far ahead of the vote, marked like many by-elections by low participation (only 30% of voters voted). He faces Lionel Vuibert, who is running without a political label. The latter was a deputy from 2022 to 2024, within the Renaissance group, and claimed during the 2022 legislative elections his membership in the presidential majority.
Jordan Bardella answered questions from our journalist Layla Landry at midday, in ICI 12/13 Champagne-Ardenne. While two motions of censure are being examined this Wednesday in the National Assembly, which could lead to censure of the Barnier government, the MEP also spoke on national policy.
Jordan Bardella : “Because we must mobilize in the face of government policy which is ever more brutal and which plans, as we speak, to defund healthcare, to de-index retirement pensions from inflation, to increase taxes on electricity. The National Rally is obviously opposed to this policy.
We have the first group in the National Assembly. Our candidate here in the Ardennes, Jordan Duflot, came first in the first round. He has every chance of winning. And we need to keep this group in the National Assembly powerful, important, to defend our compatriots and in particular our retirees, our most modest compatriots.
I came to support him and obviously call on our compatriots to vote on Sunday.”
Jordan Bardella : “This is the reason why I am here. I came to say that staying at home on Sunday for this second round or not voting is directly or indirectly giving a voice to Emmanuel Macron, to Emmanuel Macron's candidate who faces our candidate. So on Sunday, we must vote patriotic. I obviously call on our voters to come together and tell them that I need them.
As for the abstainers, I urge them to come to the aid of victory. Because in reality, we need a voice in the Assembly that defends the Ardennes, that defends our traditions, that defends the purchasing power of the working classes, of the middle classes, that defends our businesses, that defends the economic patriotism. All this in the face of the dangers represented by the left and the increasingly harsh policies pursued by the Barnier-Macron government.”
Jordan Bardella : “We have tabled our own motion of censure. It is that of the left which will be put to the vote given the fact that it received the most signatures. We will vote for censure because it is a defiance of the towards the government.
Very sincerely, I cannot, with my political movement, with Marine Le Pen, let pass a budget which plans to increase taxes by 40 billion euros, which wants to deindex retirement pensions, increase taxes on electricity or reimbursement for medications. This is not possible.
The State must be exemplary. And the government must obviously also take into account the RN, which is the first group in the Assembly, and hear our red lines.”
Jordan Bardella : “I am not in power and the National Rally, for fifty years, has never exercised responsibilities. So I am not responsible, with my political movement, for what you describe as chaos or uncertainty .
It was Emmanuel Macron who plunged the country into uncertainty, by depriving me of a majority to access Matignon last summer and to ally with the New Popular Front of Jean-Luc Mélenchon.
But I think the uncertainty will come from this budget. I want to protect the purchasing power of my compatriots. We must also protect growth and our businesses which cannot see the cost of labor increase as Michel Barnier wishes to do.
So if a new government is appointed, we will sit around the table and we will resume the budgetary discussion very quickly.”
