Paris – Jean-Marie Le Pen, the historic leader of France's far-right political movement, died on Tuesday at the age of 96, French news agency AFP said, citing his family. Le Pen, who had been in a care facility for several weeks, died on Tuesday “surrounded by loved ones,” the family said in a statement.
His daughter Marine Le Pen is one of the highest numbers in the party, now called National Rally, which has increased in support in recent years. The party's current president, who goes by the French acronym RN, Jordan Bardella, confirmed Le Pen's death in report posted Tuesday on social media.
“He always served France, defending its identity and its sovereignty,” said Bardella. “Today I think with sadness of his family, his loved ones, and to a true Marine whose grief must be respected.”
French President Jean-Marie Le Pen, leader of the National Front party, speaks to the Foreign Press Association in Paris, France, April 7, 1988. / Credit: Charles Platiau/REUTERS
Le Pen sent shockwaves through France in 2002 when he reached the second round of the presidential election on a strong anti-immigration platform. He was often accused of racism and antisemitism, and infamously dismissed the Holocaust as a detail of history.
His daughter took over the leadership of the party in 2011 and ousted him four years later, trying to distance her movement from his reputation. RN showed strong gains in last year's European Parliament elections, and subsequently became the largest single party in France's general election.
Marine Le Pen said the National Rally “almost wiped out” President Emmanuel Macron's centrist power base in the first round of this summer's elections, taking nearly a third of the votes in strong opposition to him. Macron's troubled government.
She has a seat in parliament and is the leader of the RN bloc in the legislature.
The the new French government which was created as a result of the summer elections – after a lot of obstruction – in the center, and although it does not include any RN members, the farthest, anti-immigration movement founded by senior Le Pen now holding enough seats in parliament. have a major impact on the country's policies.
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