Jean-Marie Le Pen, the man who established France’s far-right National Rally party, and the father of prominent French politician Marine Le Pen, has passed away at the age of 96.
Marie Le Pen established the National Rally (originally known as the National Front) back in 1972, building it into a right-wing populist movement. She remained its leader until 2011. On five separate occasions, he contested for the presidency. His most notable success was in 2002, when he surprised France by eliminating Socialist candidate Lionel Jospin in the initial voting round, and ultimately losing to Jacques Chirac in the runoff. This marked the first time a far-right candidate had advanced that far in the election process. Le Pen suffered a decisive defeat, with Chirac securing over 82% of the vote.
Throughout his political career, Le Pen has been a contentious figure, often found guilty and penalized for questioning and diminishing the atrocities committed during the Holocaust, which is against French law. Notably, he once referred to the Holocaust as a minor incident in World War II’s historical timeline, and consistently praised the Vichy government of France for its wartime collaboration with the Nazi occupation forces. He has been convicted and fined on multiple occasions for denying humanitarian crimes, such as his 2014 suggestion that the Ebola virus could potentially address global overpopulation issues.
In 2016, he was found guilty of inciting racial hatred and ethnic prejudice due to a public comment he made, likening the Roma living in Paris to something that causes irritation.
In the previous year, Le Pen, together with his daughter and fellow National Rally party members, were accused of misusing funds from the European parliament. Due to health concerns, Jean-Marie Le Pen was granted an exemption from appearing in court for these allegations.
Marine Le Pen, one of Jean-Marie Le Pen’s three daughters from his first marriage with Pierrette, assumed leadership of the National Rally (previously the National Front) in 2011. In an attempt to modernize the party and make it more attractive to mainstream French voters, she ousted her father in 2015. Jean-Marie was initially given a lifetime honorary presidency, but he challenged his expulsion in court, eventually leading to his permanent removal from the party in 2018.
Jean-Marie Le Pen is often recognized as the originator of extreme right-wing politics in Europe, serving as an inspiration for numerous populist leaders such as Viktor Orban from Hungary, Giorgia Meloni in Italy, Nigel Farage in the U.K., and Donald Trump in the United States. His daughter, Marine Le Pen, took her father’s anti-immigrant, populist ideology and adapted it to appeal to a wider audience, experiencing remarkable success. In France’s 2022 presidential election, she secured a record-breaking 41.45% of the vote in the second round, which marked the highest percentage ever for a nationalist candidate in French history. However, she ultimately fell short against Emmanuel Macron.
Read More
- 15 Charged for converting Drug Cartels’ Cash into Cryptocurrency in U.S.
- XRP Price Eyes $2 Support Level Amidst Market Correction
- OREO Unveils Six New Products for 2025
- PYTH PREDICTION. PYTH cryptocurrency
- ‘Fast and Furious’ Star Paul Walker Remembered 11 Years After His Death
- Apple Lands Anya Taylor-Joy Led Drama ‘Lucky,’ Based on Bestseller
- Google’s Willow Quantum Chip Sparks Bitcoin Security Debate
- TROTOAR Gallery Bridges Local and Global Art with ‘That’s What’s Up!’
- Russell T Davies Says He “Kind Of Hopes” The Streaming Bubble Will “Pop”
- India signals no fixed timeline for crypto rules, calls for global alliance
2025-01-07 16:24