Analyst says antisemitism allegations have hurt France's National Rally

Antisemitism allegations against the leader of France's National Rally have significantly damaged the party's efforts to present a more mainstream image, according to Andrew Smith, an academic at Queen Mary University of London who studies French politics.

Smith said that in recent years, observers and voters had increasingly bought into what he described as a "detoxification" narrative around the party, one that sought to distance it from the more extreme reputation of its earlier years under different leadership.

The fresh allegations, he argued, have undercut that narrative and reopened questions about the party's underlying positions and associations, at a sensitive moment for its standing in French politics.

National Rally has faced periodic scrutiny over the years regarding its historical links and the conduct of some of its members, even as its leadership has sought to project a more moderate public face to broaden its electoral appeal.

The party has not been quoted responding directly to Smith's specific comments, but the broader debate over its rebranding effort is likely to continue to feature in French political commentary as the allegations are examined further.