In brief
French far-right politician Jean-Marie Le Pen has died at age 96, his family confirmed.
Le Pen passed away on Tuesday at a care facility, surrounded by family, as reported by AFP. He has been a prominent and divisive figure in French politics since founding the far-right National Front party in 1972. Le Pen was infamous for his extremist views on immigration, race, and gender, as well as his Holocaust denial, which earned him widespread condemnation throughout his life. Le Pen notably reached the second round of the presidential election in 2002 but was publicly criticized for his far-right views. His daughter, Marine Le Pen, succeeded him as party leader in 2011, subsequently rebranding it to National Rally, which has since emerged as one of France's foremost political parties. Jordan Bardella, who took over as party chair from Marine in 2022, expressed condolences on social media, noting Le Pen’s commitment to defending what he perceived as France’s identity. Conversely, far-right commentator Eric Zemmour highlighted Le Pen's role in warning France about existential threats, despite his controversial remarks. However, not all reactions have been sympathetic. Jean-Luc Mélenchon, head of the radical left France Unbowed, criticized Le Pen’s legacy, stating that his actions left an indelible mark of hatred, racism, Islamophobia, and antisemitism that society must continue to combat. Le Pen's long and tumultuous political career saw him face multiple legal convictions for his inflammatory comments. In 2015, he was expelled from the National Rally after another controversial incident involving Holocaust denial, an act that drew condemnation even from his own daughter who insisted it reflected negatively on the party's image and future.
