French far-right politician Jean-Marie Le Pen has died.
He was aged 96 years
Le Pen, who had been in a care facility for several weeks, died on Tuesday.
A statement issued by his family stated that he was surrounded by loved ones.
Le Pen established the far-right National Front party in France in 1972. He was an unapologetic racist, gender, and immigration extremist who frequently downplayed the Holocaust.
In 2002, he faced off against Jacques Chirac in the presidential election runoff.
In 2011, Marine, Le Pen’s daughter, became the party’s leader. Since then, she has changed the party’s name to National Rally, making it one of France’s most powerful political organisations.
French President Emmanuel Macron described Le Pen as a “historic figure of the far right”, adding that “history will judge” his role in the country’s political life.
Far-right nationalist Eric Zemmour stated on X that “aside from the controversies and scandals,” Le Pen would be remembered for being “among the first to alert France of the existential threats lurking.”
On the opposite end of the political spectrum, Jean-Luc Mélenchon, leader of the extreme left France Unbowed (LFI), stated that honouring the dignity of the deceased and the anguish of their families does not preclude the right to evaluate their acts. Those like Jean-Marie Le Pen are awful.
For decades, Le Pen was France’s most divisive political figure. His enemies labelled him a far-right bigot, and courts condemned him multiple times for his extremist views.
