Marine Le Pen's circle successfully altered a survey, boosting Jordan Bardella's prospects.
Unveiling the Controversial Poll and the Fiery Response
A fresh wave of tension within the National Rally (RN) party has erupted, a month after Marine Le Pen's conviction and temporary disqualification. The flare-up? An announcement of a poll predicting the 2027 presidential election. It wasn't the results, which favor the RN, that stirred the pot, but the methodology.
The poll, conducted by the French Institute of Public Opinion (IFOP) and commissioned by Hexagone - a think tank backed by liberal-conservative billionaire Pierre-Édouard Stirin – tested the candidacy of only the RN party president, Jordan Bardella. This move was perceived by some as an attempt to undermine the possibility of a Marine Le Pen run, who remains the party's perceived frontrunner.
In the evening of April 27, Hexagone publicized their "exclusive voting intention survey for the 2027 presidential election" on their social media platforms, revealing 10,000 respondents and second-round configurations. The announcement was accompanied by a visual featuring 14 political figures, from the spokesperson of Workers' Struggle, Nathalie Arthaud, to the president of Reconquête!, Eric Zemmour. Interestingly, Jordan Bardella was front and center, but Marine Le Pen was conspicuously absent.
While the exact reasoning behind Hexagone’s decision remains cryptic from the available materials, ongoing legal and political tensions surrounding the RN could offer plausible explanations. A recent legal analysis by Philippe Chalmin suggests that Marine Le Pen could face disqualification due to financial misconduct charges, focusing on her "risk of recidivism" and concerns about the "exemplarity" of her potential candidacy[4]. In the broader political landscape, figures like Brice Hortefeux have framed the 2027 election as a campaign to "avoid both Jean-Luc Mélenchon and the RN candidate," potentially leading to exclusionary tactics against the RN[2]. Despite missing the mark on Marine Le Pen's candidacy, this poll serves as another reminding flashpoint in the ongoing saga of the National Rally party. (Note: No direct evidence links Pierre-Édouard Stirin or Hexagone’s funding to this decision in the provided sources.)
- The Hexagone think tank, funded by Pierre-Édouard Stirin, published an "exclusive voting intention survey for the 2027 presidential election" on April 27, featuring the RN party president, Jordan Bardella, among other political figures, but conspicuously absenting Marine Le Pen.
- The poll, commissioned by Hexagone and conducted by IFOP, tested only the candidacy of Jordan Bardella, which some perceived as an attempt to undermine the possibility of a Marine Le Pen run, who remains the party's perceived frontrunner.
- A fresh wave of tension within the National Rally (RN) party has been stirred after the publication of this poll, with some seeing it as a political move that could impact Marine Le Pen's potential candidacy in the 2027 presidential election.
- In the broader context of politics, policy-and-legislation, and general news, ongoing legal and political tensions surrounding Marine Le Pen could potentially influence the decision to focus solely on Jordan Bardella in the Hexagone poll, as she may face disqualification due to financial misconduct charges.
