Jean-Marie Le Pen, the firebrand co-founder of the French party formerly known as the National Front, has died aged 96, French media reported on Tuesday.
The Elysee said sent his condolences to Le Pen’s family.
In a brief statement, the Elysee added that “history will judge” his role in France’s political life.
Who was Jean-Marie Le Pen?
Le Pen rocked ‘s political establishment when he unexpectedly reached the presidential election runoff vote against Jacques Chirac in 2002.
A polarizing figure in French politics, Le Pen gained popularity with his fiery rhetoric against immigration and multiculturalism. His extreme stances attracted both staunch support and widespread condemnation.
His statements, including Holocaust denial, led to multiple convictions and put his political alliances under strain.
A major figure in French politics for decades, Le Pen was a wily political strategist and talented orator able to win over crowds with his anti-immigration message.
The son of a Breton fisherman, he made Islam, and Muslim immigrants, his main target, blaming them for France’s economic and social problems.
As a former paratrooper and Foreign Legionnaire, he fought in Indochina and Algeria.
Le Pen was succeeded as leader by , who in 2011 rebranded the party to shed its “demonized” image and widen its electoral appeal. She ran for the presidency three times and also expelled her father from the party in 2015 for antisemitism.
Le Pen’s death came at a crucial time for his daughter as she faces a potential ban on running for political office and a possible prison term if convicted in an currently underway.
rc/kb (AFP, Reuters)
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