PARIS — Jean-Marie Le Pen, the controversial founder of France’s prominent far-right political party, was laid to rest on Saturday during an intimate family gathering in his birthplace of La Trinité-sur-Mer, located in Brittany.
His passing on Tuesday at the age of 96 has once again stirred discussions surrounding his contentious legacy, with reports indicating that he will be buried next to his parents.
While Le Pen’s funeral was a private affair for family members only, a public memorial service is set for January 16 at the Notre Dame du Val-de-Grâce church in Paris. This event aims to provide both supporters and critics an opportunity to reflect on his significant influence in shaping France’s political scene.
Le Pen’s daughter, Marine Le Pen, has played a key role in evolving the National Front, now known as the National Rally, into a formidable political entity in France. She is currently preparing for a run in the upcoming presidential election in 2027.
Here’s a summary of pivotal moments in Jean-Marie Le Pen’s life and the impact of his political career:
1954-1957
Born in 1928 in Brittany, Jean-Marie Le Pen had a military background, notably participating in efforts to uphold French colonial rule in both Indochina and Algeria as a paratrooper during the 1957 battle of Algiers. He later acknowledged violent methods utilized during these campaigns, which were prompted by media allegations regarding his involvement in torture.
Le Pen also began his political journey in 1956 when he secured a position as a lawmaker in the French National Assembly representing a populist faction.
1972
In the early 70s, Le Pen established the National Front as a way to garner support for his nationalist and anti-immigration policies and to position himself for the 1974 presidential election, where he garnered a mere 0.74% of the votes.
1984
By 1984, the National Front gained substantial recognition in French politics, achieving a significant milestone by capturing 10 seats in the European Parliament, with Le Pen himself being one of the elected members.
1987
During an interview in 1987, Le Pen controversially described the Nazi gas chambers as merely a “detail in World War II history.” He reiterated this statement in 2015, expressing no remorse for it, which drew strong criticism from his daughter, who had assumed leadership of the party by then.
2002
In 2002, Le Pen garnered unexpected global attention by reaching the second round of the French presidential elections, leading to widespread protests from both left and right factions of political supporters who united against him.
His conservative competitor, Jacques Chirac, ultimately defeated him by a staggering margin, receiving 82% of the vote. In the subsequent year, Le Pen called for the inclusion of “national preference” in the French Constitution to restrict employment and housing benefits to French citizens, asserting that immigration posed a severe threat to the nation.
2011
In 2011, Marine Le Pen succeeded her father as leader of the National Front, with ambitions to rebrand the party and mitigate its legacy of racism and antisemitism often associated with her father’s leadership style.
2015
By 2015, Jean-Marie Le Pen was expelled from the National Front due to his increasingly provocative statements. Three years later, in 2018, he lost his title of honorary president-for-life shortly before the party rebranded as the National Rally.
2017 and 2022
Marine Le Pen made two presidential bids, reaching the second round in both elections but losing to Emmanuel Macron, a centrist contender. In 2022, she significantly improved her support, receiving 41.5% of the vote compared to 33.9% in 2017. Later that year, she was elected to the National Assembly, solidifying her standing in French politics.
2024
The National Rally emerged as one of the three dominant political blocs in the National Assembly, winning over 120 seats during unexpected legislative elections called by President Emmanuel Macron. Towards the end of 2024, Marine Le Pen and several officials were put on trial on allegations of misappropriating funds meant for European Union parliamentary aides, diverting them instead for party staffing during the years of 2004 to 2016.
Her potential sentencing could result in imprisonment and a prohibition on participating in future political elections, with a verdict expected in March.