"The paparazzi had been following us for a while," confessed the president of the National Rally (RN), in statements to France 2 after the release of the report confirming the rumors that had been circulating since they were seen out together in early February from the Grand Palais in Paris.
"Photographers were camping outside our homes, following our movements, and there they were, at the foot of our hotel during our visit to Corsica," continued the 30-year-old MEP, recalling his adventures with his famous 22-year-old companion and influencer. "So we decided not to hide, to embrace what is relevant to us today, in our private life."
The tabloid press needed evidence, and the couple agreed to take a stroll, well-dressed and holding hands, through the streets of Ajaccio and pausing on the coast for a lovers' selfie among the rocks.
"Unfortunately, at the level I am at today, it is very difficult for me to protect my private life as I would like," acknowledged Bardella, in his first words after the publication of the images. "In any case, I can say one thing tonight, and that is that I am very happy."
There is now evidence of "The unexpected romance," as Paris Match titled on the cover, despite the news that had been circulating for over two months. "My private life is the only space where I am free," Bardella said in 2024, after the media scrutiny he faced following his first high-profile relationship with Nolwenn Olivier, niece of his political godmother, Marine Le Pen.
María Carolina, also accustomed to the spotlight, among other merits, is multilingual (speaks six languages) and has 190,000 followers on social media, where she shares about her busy social life between France, Italy, and Monaco, as well as her passion for ocean conservation. She studied at Harvard, attended a design school in Paris, and even dabbled in acting. In May 2025, she had a serious motorcycle accident that required her to wear a neck brace.
The romance of the year in France apparently began to take shape towards the end of that same year and has blossomed just in time for the countdown to the 2027 presidential elections, with Jordan Bardella as the favourite in most polls.