Jean-Marie Le Pen is facing the fallout of a string of controversial comments. His daughter, Marine – the leader of France’s far-right National Front
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Jean-Marie Le Pen is facing the fallout of a string of controversial comments.
His daughter, Marine – the leader of France’s far-right National Front – says she will oppose his candidacy in regional elections.
In a statement, she says her father’s stance appears to be somewhere “between a scorched earth strategy and political suicide.”
It comes after she clashed with Jean-Marie over his defence of past comments, describing Nazi gas chambers as as a “detail of history.”
Marine Le Pen is widely expected to run for the French presidency in two years time.
“Jean-Marie Le Pen expressed a position which marks a total rupture, irreconcilable with the position of the National Front. And in total contrast with all of the subjects that have been discussed and expressed by the National Front and Marine Le Pen,” said Florian Philippot, Vice President of the National Front.
Since taking over the National Front from her father, the founder of the party, Marine has been trying to make the party more attractive to mainstream French voters.