Jean-Marie Le Pen, the long-time leader of France’s National Front party (now the National Rally), passed away at the age of 96. He died at a care facility surrounded by family, according to media reports.
Born in 1928 to a fishing family, Le Pen held various jobs throughout his life, including fisherman, deep-sea miner, and building inspector. He also served twice in the French Foreign Legion’s parachute regiment and participated in the Suez Crisis and the Algerian War.
His political career began in the 1950s, marked by two terms in the French National Assembly (1956-1962) before establishing the National Front in 1972.
Le Pen ran for the French presidency five times (1974, 1988, 1995, 2002, and 2007), achieving a strong second-place finish in 2002 with nearly 18% of the vote.
He served in the European Parliament from 1984 until 2003, returning in 2004 and remaining a Member of the European Parliament until 2019.
His political views, often categorized as far-right, were frequently controversial. He was known for his anti-immigration stance, minimizing the Holocaust, and expressing admiration for Marshal Philippe Pétain, the head of Vichy France.
Le Pen transferred leadership of the National Front to his daughter, Marine Le Pen, in 2011, becoming honorary president. Four years later, he was expelled from the party after making remarks minimizing the Holocaust and advocating for a Franco-Russian alliance to preserve “the white world.”
Marine Le Pen described her father’s comments on Jews, migrants, and sexual minorities as “political suicide.” Jean-Marie Le Pen, in turn, stated he would not vote for his daughter in the 2017 presidential election.
Marine Le Pen has since distanced the National Rally (formerly the National Front) from her father’s most extreme views. The National Rally and its allies currently hold 89 seats in the French National Assembly, forming the second-largest opposition group after the left-wing New Popular Ecological and Social Union.