French Far-Right Politician Le Pen Dies Aged 96

French far-right politician Jean-Marie Le Pen has died aged 96.

Le Pen, who had been in a care facility for several weeks, died at midday on Tuesday “surrounded by his loved ones”, the family said.

Le Pen – who repeatedly played down the Holocaust and was an unrepentant extremist on race, gender and immigration – founded the French far-right National Front party in 1972.

He reached the presidential election-run off against Jacques Chirac in 2002.

Le Pen’s daughter, Marine, took over as party chief in 2011. She has since rebranded the party as National Rally, turning it into one of France’s main political forces.

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 said on X that “beyond the controversies and the scandals” Le Pen would be remembered for being “among the first to alert France of the existential threats lurking”.

On the other end of the political spectrum, Jean-Luc Mélenchon, leader of the radical left France Unbowed (LFI), said that respecting the dignity of the dead and the grief of their family does not cancel out the right to judge their actions. Those of Jean-Marie Le Pen are unbearable.

“The struggle against the man is over. That against the hatred, racism, Islamophobia and antisemitism that he spread continues.”

For several decades, Le Pen was France’s most controversial political figure. His critics denounced him as a far-right bigot and the courts convicted him several times for his radical remarks.

BBC/Ejiofor Ezeifeoma