French investigative journalism outlet Mediapart reported on Thursday that it has authenticated a series of antisemitic messages dating back to 2013. According to the report, these messages are attributed to Jordan Bardella, who currently serves as the de facto deputy to Marine Le Pen, the leader of the National Rally party.

The timing of these allegations is significant, as they surface only seven months before the French presidential election. Marine Le Pen is currently leading in several opinion polls, and Bardella is considered a central figure in her political strategy. While Mediapart asserts that the messages have been verified, the report does not detail the specific content of the messages or the platform on which they were originally posted.

As of the time of the report, neither Jordan Bardella nor the National Rally party had issued a formal response to the specific claims made by Mediapart. The emergence of these allegations creates a potential political hurdle for the party, which has spent years attempting to distance itself from its historical associations with antisemitism and extremism. The authenticity of the messages and their potential impact on the upcoming election remain points of intense speculation in French media circles.