Jean-Marie Le Pen, the founder of France’s far-right National Front party has died at the age of 96.
A political provocateur known for his racist rhetoric and unapologetic nationalism, Le Pen’s career spanned more than four decades, during which he consistently advocated for anti-immigration policies and a France-first approach to politics. His leadership fostered the far right into the mainstream political scene in France, and his statements often incited public outrage and legal challenges.
Le Pen co-founded the National Front in 1972, positioning it as a party for those disillusioned by France’s mainstream politics. His populist message often resonated with working-class voters concerned about immigration, economic insecurity, and globalization. Over the years, he championed issues like stricter immigration controls, and opposition to European integration, frequently attacking the European Union as a threat to France’s identity.
Le Pen served as a French MP for much of the 70s and 80s, an MEP for most of the early 2000s. His political influence peaked in 2002, when he shocked France by advancing to the second round of the presidential election, defeating Socialist candidate Lionel Jospin. However, in the runoff, he was decisively defeated by incumbent President Jacques Chirac, who garnered over 82% of the vote as mainstream parties united against Le Pen’s far-right platform.
Throughout his career, Le Pen was known for blistering racism, anti-Semitism, and homophobia. His most infamous comment, referring to Nazi gas chambers as a “detail” of World War II, led to widespread condemnation and multiple convictions for Holocaust denial. He often posited provocative measures such as the mass expulsion of Muslim immigrants and quarantining AIDS patients. In 2016 he was convicted of “provoking hatred and ethnic discrimination” for stating that Roma people were “rash-inducing.”
Le Pen’s personal life was also tumultuous, marked by public feuds with his family. His youngest daughter, Marine Le Pen, took over leadership of the National Front in 2011, rebranding it as the National Rally in an effort to broaden its appeal. Marine distanced herself from her father, ultimately expelling him from the party in 2015 as part of an attempt to tamp down the most extreme positions of the party, and stage it as a legitimate contender for power.
Le Pen’s death marks the end of one era for the far-right in France, but certainly not the end for such sentiments in the country.
