World News Actuality Presented By Claire Evren

Jean-Marie Le Pen the historic leader of France’s far-right, died on Tuesday, January 7.

His political career spanned decades. In 1956, at the age of 27, he was elected to the French National Assembly.

From his election as France’s youngest MP, Jean-Marie Le Pen founded the French far-right National Front party in 1972. He reached the presidential election-run off against Jacques Chirac in 2002. Le Pen was present at every stage of the French far right’s post-war history.

In 2007, he became the oldest person to stand as a presidential candidate. In 2011, he was succeeded as National Front leader by Marine.

In April 2015, Jean-Marie Le Pen was still honorary president of the Front National. His daughter Marine, the party’s president. He reached his 90th birthday as a member of the European parliament – a post he retained until 2019.

His daughter Marine Le Pen called her father a “warrior,” adding that “many” people were mourning him. “Death has come to take him from us,” she wrote on X in her first public reaction to the death of the man who co-founded the far-right movement she now leads but has moved to transform. “Many people he loves are waiting for him up there. Many who love him are mourning him down here.”

Jordan Bardella, who succeeded Marine Le Pen as party chair in 2022, said Jean-Marie had “always served France” and “defended its identity and sovereignty”.