Jean-Marie Le Pen, Founder of France's Far-Right National Front, Dies at 96
Jean-Marie Le Pen, Founder of France's Far-Right National Front, Dies at 96
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Jean-Marie Le Pen, the founder of France's far-right National Front party, died at the age of 96. His death was confirmed by senior party officials and reported widely across various news outlets. Le Pen, a controversial figure in French politics, was known for his fiery rhetoric against immigration and his nationalist views.
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Le Pen's political career began in 1956 when he was first elected as a lawmaker in the French National Assembly under the banner of a populist party. He founded the National Front in 1972 to increase support for his anti-immigration and nationalist agenda. Despite his early struggles, Le Pen's party gained significant traction over the years. In 1984, the National Front became a well-established political force by winning 10 seats in the European Parliament.Le Pen's controversial statements, including his infamous remark in 1987 referring to the Nazi gas chambers as a "detail in World War II history," sparked outrage and led to multiple convictions for antisemitism and discrimination. Despite these controversies, he managed to qualify for the second round of the French presidential election in 2002, prompting a major political upheaval and a rare show of unity among French voters against him.Le Pen's daughter, Marine Le Pen, succeeded him as the leader of the National Front in 2011, seeking to rebrand the party and make it more mainstream. However, Jean-Marie Le Pen's increasingly shocking statements led to his expulsion from the party in 2015 and the loss of his title of honorary president-for-life in 2018. The party was subsequently renamed the National Rally.Marine Le Pen continued to lead the party, achieving significant electoral success. In 2022, she became a member of the National Assembly, further consolidating her political influence. However, at the end of 2024, she and other officials faced trial over accusations of misusing EU parliamentary aide funds, which could result in a prison term and a ban on running for political office.Jean-Marie Le Pen's death marks the end of an era for the far-right in French politics, but his influence and the political framework he established continue to shape the landscape of French politics today.
