French far-right leader Jean-Marie Le Pen dies aged 96

Co-founder of the National Front led the party for decades and was known for fiery rhetoric against immigration.

Jean-Marie Le Pen, the co-founder of France’s far-right National Front party, has died aged 96.

His death was confirmed by his daughter Marine Le Pen’s political party, National Rally (Rassemblement National) on Tuesday.

Jean-Marie Le Pen was known for fiery rhetoric against immigration that earned him both staunch supporters and widespread condemnation.

A polarising figure in French politics, Le Pen made statements – including Holocaust denial and a 1987 proposal to forcibly isolate people with AIDS – that led to multiple convictions and strained his political alliances.

Le Pen co-founded the National Front party in 1972 and contested the French presidency five times. He sent shock waves through France in 2002 when he made it to the second round of the presidential election, which was won by Jacques Chirac.