French Far Right Leader Jordan Bardella 'Egged' at Book Signing Event

French far-right leader Jordan Bardella was struck on the head with an egg during a book signing in Moissac, southwestern France, on Saturday, just days after another public confrontation in which a protester threw flour at him, according to French authorities.

Bardella, the 30-year-old president of the National Rally (RN), had been attending a promotional event for his latest book when a man approached him and cracked an egg over his head.

The suspected attacker, a 74-year-old man, was immediately arrested and placed into police custody on suspicion of violence against a public official, prosecutor Bruno Sauvage of Montauban told AFP.

A complaint has been officially filed in Bardella's name over the incident. He was not injured, and security swiftly intervened to restore order at the venue.

Second Attack in Less Than a Week

Saturday's assault followed another incident earlier in the week. On Tuesday, Bardella was targeted during a visit to an agricultural fair in Vesoul, eastern France, when a protester hurled a bag of flour at him, coating his clothes and face in white powder.

Police detained a 17-year-old teenager over the flour attack before releasing him the following day. Authorities ordered the teenager to attend a citizenship education course as a corrective measure. Bardella again emerged unharmed.

Videos of the flour assault spread rapidly across social media, while Saturday's egg incident further fuelled debate regarding political tensions and safety at campaign events.

The Reason Behind the Attacks

Critics and opponents of Bardella say public hostility toward him is driven largely by his political positions, particularly his hardline stance on immigration and Islam.

As a member of the European Parliament, Bardella served as a leading voice behind RN's 2024 campaign platform, which promoted sweeping restrictions on immigration and aggressive legislation targeting Islamist ideologies. When he ran for prime minister that year, Bardella proposed abolishing France's droit du sol, the birthright citizenship rule granting nationality to children born in France to foreign parents.

He also backed measures designed to make it easier to close mosques deemed extremist and deport imams accused of "radicalisation."

Civil rights organisations, migrants' advocacy groups and left-wing lawmakers criticised his proposals as discriminatory and stigmatising toward Muslim communities.

Bardella's legislative ambitions stalled after the surprise success of the left-wing New Popular Front (NFP) during national elections resulted in a hung parliament, preventing the RN from forming a majority needed to enact his proposed reforms.

Bardella Criticises Media Coverage

After Saturday's egg attack, Bardella criticised coverage of the incident by French broadcaster BFMTV, accusing one of its commentators of excusing the violence by referencing his political views.

'A BFMTV columnist justifies my attack with my "harsh" and "Islamophobic" political remarks. Does she know that in our country people have died after accusations of "Islamophobia"? What exactly is she up to?' he wrote on X.

Fellow RN lawmaker Thomas Ménagé also posted on the platform, condemning the attack and calling for a 'unanimous condemnation of violence' against politicians across the ideological spectrum.

Bardella later reassured supporters, repeating that he had not been injured by either attack.

Political Momentum and 2027 Fears

The RN believes its electoral prospects have never been stronger ahead of the 2027 French presidential election, with Bardella now widely viewed as the movement's most viable candidate.

An Odoxa poll of 1,000 voters shows Bardella leading potential rivals in projected match-ups, suggesting the 30-year-old could win the presidency regardless of who faces him in the race.

Observers say the two consecutive public attacks may reflect mounting anxiety among his critics over the possibility of the RN gaining national power.

Commenting on the incidents, Bardella wrote:
'The more we make progress, the closer we get to power, the more the violence from the far left, intolerance and pure stupidity are unleashed.'

From Le Pen Heir to Presidential Hopeful

Bardella assumed leadership of the National Rally after longtime party head Marine Le Pen was convicted in a corruption case, a ruling that barred her from standing for president.

Under Le Pen's tenure, the party came under fire for its support of Russia's 2014 annexation efforts in Ukraine and for having received campaign financing from Russian banks.

Since taking over, Bardella has sought to modernise the party's image while retaining its nationalist platform, using youth appeal and social media outreach to broaden support beyond its historic voter base.

Ongoing Investigations

French authorities have not yet indicated whether security protocols will be increased at Bardella's future appearances despite the two attacks. Prosecutors confirmed that both incidents remain under investigation.

As Bardella presses ahead with his nationwide book tour, the egg and flour attacks underscore the escalating volatility surrounding French politics ahead of the pivotal 2027 election season.