France’s far-right National Rally party elected Jordan Bardella to succeed longtime leader Marine Le Pen.
Bardella, a 27-year-old MEP, won 85 percent of party members’ votes on Saturday, according to media reports.
His election marks the first time a leader without the Le Pen name will head the party since its founding half a century ago.
Le Pen is expected to continue to wield power in the party and is seen as its likely candidate for the French presidency in 2027. She said she decided to step aside to concentrate on leading the party’s lawmakers in France’s National Assembly.
