Former leader of the French National Front party Jean-Marie Le Pen has passed away at the age of 96, French media reported on Tuesday.
According to journalists, the politician passed away in a medical centre in the town of Garches. He had been in hospital for the past few weeks.
Jean-Marie Le Pen was born on June 20, 1928. In 1956, he became the youngest member of the French parliament.
The politician became the head of the National Front party in 1972. During his career, Jean-Marie Le Pen was nominated five times as a candidate for the presidency of the country, and in 2002 he managed to pass to the second round of elections. However, he won only 17.8 per cent of the vote and lost to another candidate, Jacques Chirac.
In 2011, the politician left the post of chairman of the party, passing the management of it to his daughter, Marine Le Pen. Four years later, he was expelled from the “National Front,” and in 2018 the party changed its name to “National Association” (Rassemblement Nationale).
Now the party is headed by 29-year-old Jordan Bardella. He became the leader of the Rassemblement Nationale in 2022.
