Jean-Marie Le Pen, the founder of the far-right party National Front in France, has passed away.

French politician Jean-Marie Le Pen, founder of the far-right pro-fascist "National Front," who led the party from 1972 to 2011, has passed away in France at the age of 96.

In 2011, his daughter Marine Le Pen became the head of the "National Front," facing accusations of receiving funds from the Russian government.

Four years later, she expelled her father from the party he established after he referred to Nazi gas chambers as a minor "historical detail." For these remarks, he was fined €30,000 by the court.

"I believe that pedophilia has its roots in the fascination with homosexuality," he stated, for example.

The founder of the "National Front" ran for the French presidency five times. His most notable success came in 2002, when he surpassed Socialist candidate Lionel Jospin in the first round of elections. However, in the second round, he suffered a crushing defeat to Jacques Chirac, who garnered 82% of the votes.

"The most controversial contemporary political figure in France has passed away. He was the 'devil of the republic,' who imposed his views and provocations in the public sphere for 30 years, serving as a red rag for nearly the entire political spectrum," writes Le Figaro about him.

Background. Meanwhile, Le Monde reported that French far-right members of Le Pen's party have started to favor Ukraine over Russia; since the summer of 2024, Jordan Bardella has not missed an opportunity to showcase his contacts with Ukrainian President Zelensky.