If the National Rally were to win the early legislative elections, Jordan Bardella could become Prime Minister. And the composition of a hypothetical government begins to take shape.
Jordan Bardella Prime Minister? Yes, but only in the event of an absolute majority in the National Assembly after a hypothetical victory of the RN in the early legislative elections. Otherwise, he would be “at the mercy of a motion of censure and (he would leave) naturally after a few days” he declared in the columns of JDD. This Thursday, during the debate pitting him against Olivier Faure for the New Popular Front and Gabriel Attal representing the majority, the young president of the Lepéniste party did not hide his intentions regarding Eric Ciotti with whom he is now allied. The latter “will be called upon to take on important responsibilities,” he said.
The closer the days get to the early legislative elections, the more Jordan Bardella prepares to possibly be appointed Prime Minister. He says he has matured his project and wants to be “the Prime Minister of all French people, without any distinction” and at the head of a government of “national unity”. And Marine Le Pen insists on the fact that the RN does not intend to draw only from its ranks to find ministers, but that the Bardella government could include “people who want to participate in the recovery of the country, whether they are from the left or the right”. A list of possible ministers of a Bardella government, still hypothetical, is emerging according to the statements of the president of the RN: “I have my government in mind and some of the personalities concerned have been notified”. But who could be on it and in what role?
The RN’s “shadow cabinet”
Prospecting to form a Bardella government began several months ago thanks to the “Matignon Plan” set up behind the scenes of the National Rally. Using the strategy of the “shadow cabinet” – or “shadow cabinet” in English – borrowed from the Anglo-Saxon parliamentary system, Jordan Bardella and Marine Le Pen are working to set up a parallel and unofficial government ready to be appointed in the event of accession to power. Not only to await a possible appointment to the government, the members of this shadow cabinet are supposed to master the various government subjects to prove the party’s capacity to govern.
Interviews were conducted by the RN MEP, Philippe Olivier, with various elected officials from the party with the aim of forming a government according to ProvenceA mission commissioned by Marine Le Pen herself to train “specialists” for each government portfolio to be filled.
Ministers from the right and other parties?
Jordan Bardella plans to open the doors of his possible government to forces other than those from the National Rally, in particular those with whom he formed alliances during the legislative election campaigns. “Eric Ciotti’s Republicans will naturally have a place in this government” announced the president of the RN, who notably reserved a place for Eric Ciotti himself. A way of rewarding the gamble of an alliance with the extreme right that cost the leader of the Republicans dearly, since disowned by his political family. The RN has also accepted a rapprochement with Marion Maréchal, but Marine Le Pen’s niece, excluded from Reconquête after having initiated the discussions, has no reason to hope for an appointment as a minister in a Bardella government.
It is not only from the right and the far right that the RN plans to recruit ministers. The left is a breeding ground for personalities that should not be neglected, as Marine Le Pen made clear in an interview for The voice of the North : “There are cadres of these movements [de gauche] who are on the same journey as their voters. Especially since the association with France Insoumise still creates a certain number of questions.”
Apart from political considerations, “personalities from civil society, selected not only for their competence, their seriousness and their expertise” could be appointed to the government if Jordan Bardella became Prime Minister, as he himself indicated to the JDD. “We are not ruling anything out. Jordan Bardella will choose the most competent people who share our philosophy,” Marine Le Pen explained earlier to the World.
Who could become minister under Jordan Bardella?
The various surveys and new alliances have allowed the National Rally to draw the outlines of a government. Some names of possible future ministers are circulating:
- Jean-Paul Garraud for the Ministry of Justice. The RN European deputy and former member of the UMP is a magistrate by profession. His name comes up very often in hallway rumors.
- Sebastien Chenu is cited for various positions, including the Ministry of the Interior and that of Foreign Affairs. The vice-president and spokesperson of the RN seems destined for promotion in the event of victory in the legislative elections. Member of the permanent foreign affairs committee of the National Assembly, until the dissolution of Emmanuel Macron, Sébastien Chenu has the advantage of being immersed in subjects relating to continental issues. According to information from BFMTVthe deputy from the North could also claim the Interior or the presidency of the National Assembly.
- Laurent Jacobelli for the Ministry of Defense. Provence is moving forward on a possible appointment of the MP and regional councilor of the Grand Est to this position. The experience of the elected member of the National Defense and Armed Forces Committee as a French MP and his writing of a report at the conclusion of a fact-finding mission on the Military Programming Law (LPM) from 2019 to 2025 explains why his name is mentioned. The MP also gave pride of place to France’s independence in terms of defense and the harmful weight of Europe in national decisions in an interview with the JDD in February 2024.
- Jean-Philippe Tanguy for the Ministry of Economy. This rumor is less widespread, but the deputy of the Somme, a graduate of ESSEC and Sciences Po Paris, describes how the RN’s economy man covets the position according to The echoes.
- Fabrice Leggeri for the Ministry of the Interior. The former boss of the Frontex agency in charge of managing immigration in Europe and elected MEP of the RN would be among the options to occupy Place Beauvau according to information from the Blast media, he is also judged ministered to this position by Thierry Mariani.
- Thibault François for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The RN MP from the North has established himself as an important advisor to Marine Le Pen and Jordan Bardella, to the point of being entrusted with the role of delegate for European affairs of the National Rally. Before joining the National Assembly, the man was the deputy secretary general of the Identity and Democracy (ID) group in the European Parliament, which allowed him to develop a solid network on a European scale and forge valuable alliances with other far-right parties.
- Eric Ciotti should be nominated according to Jordan Bardella’s statements. But the portfolios for which he would be in the running have not been specified.
Jordan Bardella says he wants to form a “government of national unity, tightened in its organization” and supported by “Secretaries of State and Ministers Delegated to Mission”. Many other positions would therefore be up for grabs, including top ministerial positions such as the Economy, Education or Health. For these, few names are currently being considered, but the RN would seek to place “specialists” at the head of the ministries. The MP Joëlle Melin who is a former private doctor could therefore be considered for Health.
The RN is ready to draw from all its elected officials, even those who have just been appointed to the European Parliament: Malika Sorel or Pierre Pimpierespectively 2nd and 25th on the European list, would thus be considered as potential ministers. The National Rally could also decide to review the number of ministries or their fields of action, in particular to create a ministry of taxation and fraud at the head of which the deputy imagines himself well Franck Allisio.
Names ruled out to be minister
The name of Thierry Mariani, at times cited as a minister and more particularly in Foreign Affairs, would no longer be in the RN’s favor to join a possible government. Asked by TF1Info about the possible appointment of the MEP known to be close to Vladimir Putin, Jordan Bardella replied: “It is not planned.” However, the elected official, who was Minister of Transport under Nicolas Sarkozy, is one of the few in the RN to have government experience.
And what about Marine Le Pen ? The leader of the far right and mentor of Jordan Bardella has already given up on Matignon, leaving room for her right-hand man, she should also refuse a position as minister. Within the RN, everyone knows that Marine Le Pen reserves herself for a single function and for the most important one in the State: the presidency. She herself indicated that “being a minister does not [permettrait] not to continue working on my presidential stature.”