Jean-Marie Le Pen, the founder of the far-right National Front (Front National) party and a staunch nationalist, has passed away at the age of 96, according to French media reports on Tuesday.
Le Pen made a significant impact on French politics in 2002 when he unexpectedly reached the presidential election run-off against Jacques Chirac, thanks to his combative blend of populism and charisma.
He was succeeded as party leader by his daughter, Marine Le Pen, who has since run for the presidency three times and transformed the party, now known as the National Rally, into one of France’s prominent political forces.
Reactions to the death of Jean-Marie Le Pen
Jordan Bardella, Chairman of the far-right National Rally:
“Jean-Marie Le Pen is dead. Enlisted in the uniform of the French army in Indochina and Algeria, orator in the National Assembly and the European Parliament, he always served France, defended its identity and its sovereignty. Today my thoughts are with his family, his loved ones, and of course of (his daughter) Marine whose mourning must be respected.”
Eric Zemmour, former far-right presidential candidate:
“Beyond the controversies, beyond the scandals, what we will remember about him in the coming decades is that he was among the first to alert France to the existential threats that awaited it. His legacy will be his vision and his courage, at a time when courageous men were not so numerous.”
