Overview
- Rassemblement National said Jordan Bardella met Germany’s ambassador, Stephan Steinlein, in Paris in February 2026.
- The German embassy did not confirm the meeting and said it is normal for diplomats to keep ties with all major political groups.
- Bardella’s team called the session routine and said it touched on budget discipline, a priority they attribute to Berlin.
- Polling now puts Bardella first in the opening round of the April 2027 presidential race, though any run by him hinges on a July appeal that could bar Marine Le Pen from the ballot.
- In a separate step, the European Public Prosecutor’s Office opened a fraud probe into claims that EU funds paid for Bardella’s 2019–2021 media coaching for domestic politics, an allegation his party says he rejects.