Jordan Bardella Attacked with Egg by Man with History of Political Assaults Amid Election Tensions

Jordan Bardella, president of the Rassemblement National (RN), was assaulted with an egg while signing copies of his new book in Moissac, Tarn-et-Garonne. The attacker, identified as Jean-Paul M., a 74-year-old retired farmer, has previously targeted right-wing figures, including Éric Zemmour in 2022 during the presidential campaign and Marine Le Pen's campaign bus. Jean-Paul M. justified his actions as a protest against controversial positions on autism, specifically criticizing Zemmour's proposals regarding autistic children. Following Bardella's attack, which occurred amid protests against him, investigations are ongoing to determine the motivations behind Jean-Paul M.'s actions.

Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez condemned the incident as an "unacceptable" act of intimidation, stressing the importance of respectful political discourse to prevent violence. Bardella has filed a complaint and his party blames the extreme left for inciting such acts, citing increasing violence linked to left-wing rhetoric as their political influence declines. Louis Aliot, mayor of Perpignan, remarked that "leftist rhetoric is leading to violent actions in the streets." During Bardella's book tour, protests with antifascist slogans have taken place in several cities, heightening tensions ahead of elections. In contrast, some left-wing figures responded to RN accusations with sarcasm and avoided condemning the incident directly.

This attack follows a previous flour-bombing of Bardella at an agricultural fair in Vesoul, illustrating a pattern of politically charged aggression amid France's charged election atmosphere.