He had been a candidate for the Elysée five times, finalist in 2002
During his very long political career, Jean-Marie Le Pen was a candidate for the Elysée five times, managing in 2002 to reach the second round to everyone’s surprise, only to be beaten by Jacques Chirac with an overwhelming score.
Elected for the first time in 1956 to the National Assembly on a Poujadist list, at the age of 27 he became the youngest member of the Palais Bourbon. Defeated in the legislative elections of 1962, he experienced a long journey through the desert, before being appointed in 1972 at the head of a new party which brought together neofascists: the National Front. He develops his favorite theme: “a million unemployed is a million too many immigrants”, accusing the latter of benefiting from social assistance to the detriment of the French.
