Jean-Marie Le Pen, the founder of the National Front, aged 96, has been hospitalized since the beginning of November for extensive medical examinations. Although there is much speculation about his health, his daughter, Marine Le Pen, is working to protect her family's privacy while admitting legitimate concerns.
Prolonged hospitalization and fragile condition
For almost two weeks, Jean-Marie Le Pen has been taken into care in a hospital center to carry out routine analyses, although this hospitalization was accelerated due to signs of weakness. According to those close to the founder of the FN, this regular care is not unusual given his advanced age and his chronic health problems.
Already hospitalized in April 2023 after a heart attack, Jean-Marie Le Pen also suffered from a transient ischemic attack in 2022, causing temporary vision loss. More recently, sources close to the family speak of a “profound physical and psychological deterioration”, making it impossible for him to participate in the ongoing trial of the European parliamentary assistants of the National Front.
Questioned this Wednesday morning on RTL, Marine Le Pen confirmed her father's hospitalization while refusing to provide precise information on his condition. “We have, because we love him, concerns about his health,” she declared, visibly moved. When journalist Thomas Sotto asked her if her father was “at the end of his life”, Marine Le Pen considered the question “too violent” and stressed that it was a matter of family privacy.
Rumors and speculation: the family reacts
The hospitalization of Jean-Marie Le Pen gave rise to persistent rumors about his health, particularly on social networks. Certain allegations, such as the administration of the last rites or his wish to leave the hospital to end his days at home, have been denied by relatives. “These rumors are outrageous and amount to voyeurism,” denounced a journalist close to the family circle.
Observers note, however, that the health of the former FN leader remains fragile. His condition, described as “worrying but stable” by several media, keeps him under constant surveillance.
At the same time, Marine Le Pen must face her own trial in the affair of the National Front parliamentary assistants. While justice is evaluating possible fictitious jobs in the European Parliament, Jean-Marie Le Pen has been exonerated from any legal obligation due to his inability to defend himself or travel.
This delicate situation underlines the end of an era for the National Front, which became the National Rally, while raising the question of the political and family heritage of a man who marked the history of the extreme right in France. For the moment, Marine Le Pen seems focused on managing current affairs, while ensuring that her father's dignity is preserved during this critical period.
