Overview

• Nicolas Sarkozy initiated an hourlong meeting with Jordan Bardella in his Paris offices on July 1.
• Both entourages described the gathering as a cordial, non-political human exchange centered on discussions about France’s future.
• The encounter reflects Bardella’s long-standing strategy, as outlined in his autobiography, to unite working-class voters with the conservative bourgeoisie following Sarkozy’s 2007 coalition model.
• Bardella used the meeting to underscore his solidarity with Sarkozy after calling the removal of the former president’s Legion of Honour a humiliating decision.
• Marine Le Pen was informed of the rendezvous, underscoring coordination within the far-right as Bardella seeks to expand his political base.