‘Poland’s Le Pen’ dead at 57

05/08/11 21:03 CET

world news

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Andrzej Lepper, a Polish former deputy prime minister, was found dead at his Warsaw office on Friday.

Police believe the 57-year-old committed suicide.

The tough-talking Lepper rose to prominence in the 1990s. His firebrand rhetoric led many to compare him to French nationalist politician Jean-Marie Le Pen.

He often attacked Poland’s leaders for joining the European Union and exposing Polish farmers to increased competition.

Lepper mixed left-wing populist economic policies with hardline social views.

The former boxer once advocated castrating paedophiles and said in 2006 that “it is impossible to rape a prostitute.”

A Warsaw court convicted Lepper of sexually harassing a female aide that same year.

But he was never jailed. The conviction was quashed earlier this year and a retrial was ordered.

More about: Death, Poland, Prime Minister

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