Jean-Marie Le Pen, co-founder of France’s far-right National Front party, has passed away at 96.
His death was confirmed by his daughter, Marine Le Pen, through the National Rally party. Known for his inflammatory statements on immigration, Le Pen was a highly polarizing figure, with a legacy marked by strong support and widespread condemnation.
Throughout his political career, Le Pen made numerous controversial remarks, including Holocaust denial and statements linking AIDS victims to isolation, which led to multiple convictions. He co-founded the National Front in 1972 and ran for the French presidency five times, famously reaching the second round in 2002 against Jacques Chirac.
French President Emmanuel Macron referred to Le Pen as “a historic figure of the far right,” acknowledging his long-standing influence in French politics.
Although expelled from his party in 2015, his controversial legacy persists.
Marine Le Pen has since rebranded the party, distancing it from her father’s extremist image, as she faces her own legal issues regarding an embezzlement trial.
Le Pen was an awkwardly resilient man. He lost an eye in a street fight, and he remained an unignorable presence in French political life.
His multiple convictions for anti-Semitism, xenophobia, and other inflammatory statements reflect a turbulent legacy.
More recently, he was even implicated in financial misconduct involving EU funds but was deemed medically unfit to testify in court.
Crowds gathered at Place de la Republique in Paris to mark his passing.
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