Jean-Marie Le Pen, co-founder of the National Front and a prominent figure of the far right in France, passed away on January 7, 2025, at the age of 96, after several months battling complications from the flu

His death marks the end of an era that deeply impacted the French political landscape. Over his nearly 60-year career, Le Pen forged a strong image, characterized by radical positions, relentless provocations, and multiple legal condemnations.

The Beginnings: A Career Shaped by Political and Military Struggles

Jean-Marie Le Pen began his political career in 1956 at the age of 27, when he was elected as a deputy, becoming one of the youngest members of the National Assembly. Coming from the poujadist movement, his path was marked by military service in Indochina and Algeria, where he was accused of torture, an allegation he denied while justifying his actions. After resigning in 1962, he withdrew from politics for a time before returning to the public stage in 1972. That year, he took the helm of the newly formed National Front, a far-right party he would shape in his image. It was also in this period that he ran for president for the first time, though unsuccessfully.

The Rise of the National Front and Endless Controversies

Jean-Marie Le Pen’s political ascent truly took off in the 1980s with the growing prominence of the National Front. In 1986, the party achieved a significant victory in the legislative elections, securing 35 seats in the National Assembly. Le Pen, at the age of 58, became an increasingly influential political figure. However, it was during this time that his provocative remarks began to stir widespread criticism. In 1987, he referred to the Nazi gas chambers as a “detail of history,” which shocked the nation. This was not the only controversial statement in his career: in 1997, he compared people with AIDS to “lepers,” and in 2004, he downplayed the brutality of the German occupation in France, calling it “not particularly inhumane.” These remarks sparked outrage and led to multiple legal condemnations, but they only served to heighten his notoriety.

An Electoral Career Marked by Ups and Downs

Jean-Marie Le Pen repeatedly ran for the presidency, and although his results were often disappointing, his career reached a peak in 2002. He stunned the nation by advancing to the second round of the presidential election, garnering 17% of the vote in the first round, just behind Jacques Chirac. This historic performance shocked the French political establishment. However, following this achievement, his results in subsequent elections declined, with a fourth-place finish in 2007, where he received just 10.44% of the vote.

Endless Provocations and a Tumultuous Departure

Over the years, Jean-Marie Le Pen faced growing criticism for his racist and hateful comments. In 1984, he referred to the “Islamo-Arab” population and immigration as a “deadly danger,” which led to a conviction for inciting racial discrimination. Throughout the 2000s, his remarks continued to fuel controversy and division, attracting further condemnations for incitement to hatred and discrimination.

As the years passed, Le Pen gradually ceded control of the National Front to his daughter Marine Le Pen, who assumed leadership of the party in 2011. However, despite the generational shift, Le Pen persisted with his provocative statements. In 2015, after yet another controversial remark about the gas chambers, he was expelled from the National Front. In 2018, the party also stripped him of his honorary presidency, severing ties with one of its founding figures.

A Contested Legacy

Jean-Marie Le Pen leaves behind a deeply divisive political legacy. While he embodied a nationalist and identitarian vision of France, he also remained a constant source of scandal, with his words fueling hatred and division. Throughout his career, he maintained a presence on the political stage by cultivating an image of being an outsider to the system, but this strategy of confrontation also deepened societal rifts. His influence on the far right is undeniable, but his legacy remains deeply polarizing, with some admiring him and others condemning his hateful and revisionist views.

The end of his political reign, marked by his expulsion and his daughter’s rise to power, signals the close of a complex era, where the lines between provocation and politics were often blurred. Jean-Marie Le Pen will remain an iconic figure—sometimes revered, sometimes vilified—but always central to the history of far-right politics in France.