The daughter of the founder of the National Front heard the news of her father’s death during a stopover in Kenya, while she was returning from her trip to Mayotte.
Jean-Marie Le Pen, founding figure of the far right in France, has died, his family announced to AFP on Tuesday January 7. According to our information, his daughter Marine Le Pen, who succeeded him as head of the National Front, learned the news during the return trip from her three-day visit to Mayotte.
Marine Le Pen’s plane, in which there were also journalists, was on a technical stopover in Nairobi, Kenya when the information reached her.
“We (the journalists) turned our phones back on at that moment, and we then became aware of this alert from the AFP on the disappearance of Jean-Marie Le Pen,” says BFMTV reporter Sophie Dupont, who was following the trip of the leader of the RN to Mayotte.
Marine Le Pen returning to France this evening
“We asked Marine Le Pen’s press secretary if he confirmed this information” but “he was not aware of it”. “He got up and headed towards Marine Le Pen’s headquarters to tell her of the disappearance of his father,” continues our journalist.
The daughter of the founder of the RN then isolated herself at the front of the plane to speak on the phone with her loved ones, before returning to her seat. Next to her were Louis Aliot, RN mayor of Perpignan and MEP André Rougé, RN delegate for Overseas. Marine Le Pen’s plane is due to land in France around 11-11:30 p.m.
Sophie Dupont with François Blanchard
