The founder of the National Front (today National Rally, Editor's note) died this Tuesday, January 7, at the age of 96. A controversial figure of the far-right, he has been condemned on several occasions by the courts for advocating war crimes, anti-Semitism, as well as for provocations of hatred and discrimination.
Nicolas Meizonnet, RN deputy for the 2nd constituency of Gard : “A man of conviction and a great lover of France is leaving us. Engaged in the uniform of the French army in Indochina and Algeria, tribune of the people, he always served France, defended its identity and its sovereignty, promoting national ideas for decades. He may have made the mistake of being right too soon on a certain number of subjects… My warm thoughts are with his family and loved ones.”
Pierre Jaumain, head of the PS du Gard : “First of all, I offer my condolences to his family, to his loved ones, because I do not forget that Jean-Marie Le Pen is also a man. As for the political figure, I will remember his excesses and his racist excesses due to his action as leader of the far-Right for decades. It has fueled divisions and fears in France. And as such, I will not pay him homage. The party he created, and even if it changed its name, remains a far-Right party, a party which feeds fears and achieves its best results by providing false solutions to deep problems. May he rest in peace and as for us, we continue the fight against these ideas.”
Yoann Gillet, RN deputy for the 1st constituency of Gard: “Jean-Marie Le Pen was a patriot. He defended France and the French throughout his life. Jean-Marie Le Pen was a visionary. He imposed in the public debate the major subjects which still structure political life today: immigration, globalization and the downgrading of France, national sovereignty and the risk of dilution in the European Union. Today I think with emotion of his wife Jany, his daughters Marine, Marie-Caroline and Yann, Marion and his other grandchildren, his entire family and his loved ones. I offer them my sincere condolences.“
More reactions to follow…
