French far-right figurehead Jean-Marie Le Pen dies at 96
France's far-right figurehead Jean-Marie Le Pen died on Tuesday aged 96, according to local media. Le Pen founded France's National Front party, which is now known as the National Rally and led by his daughter Marine.
Jean-Marie Le Pen, who died Tuesday aged 96, was the far-right bogeyman of French politics, infamously dismissing the Holocaust as a detail of history and spending half a century whipping up anger over immigration.
The co-founder of the far-right National Front -- later renamed the National Rally – was eventually booted out of the party by his daughter Marine for anti-Semitism.
A former paratrooper, Le Pen sent shock waves through France in 2002 when he made it to the second round of the presidential election, which was won by Jacques Chirac.
Le Pen, who seemed more at ease in the role of provocateur than would-be president, appeared as surprised as everyone else by his spectacular breakthrough.
But he was unable to resist the lure of the battlefield.
Read more on FRANCE 24 English
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