Jean-Marie Le Pen, the founder of the French National Front, has passed away at the age of 96.
“Jean-Marie Le Pen, surrounded by his loved ones, was called to the Lord at noon on Tuesday,” his family announced in a statement sent to the AFP news agency.
Le Pen was the founder of one of France’s oldest political parties, the former National Front. In 2002, he advanced to the second round of the presidential election but was defeated by Jacques Chirac.
Starting in 2011, the politician gradually retired from political life. Leadership of the party—renamed National Rally in 2018—was taken over by his daughter, Marine Le Pen.
Since mid-November, Jean-Marie Le Pen had been receiving hospital care at a medical facility near his home in Rueil-Malmaison, west of Paris.
(Debreceni Nap)
