Jean-Marie Le Pen, Founder of France’s National Front Party, Dies at 96

Jean-Marie Le Pen, the founder of France’s National Front party, died on Tuesday at the age of 96.

Le Pen had been a controversial figure in French politics since he first entered the National Assembly in the 1950s. His supporters said he had championed French identity and the nation’s sovereignty while his critics accused him of being anti-Semitic, of promoting discriminatory policies, and of inciting racial violence.

French President Emmanuel Macron issued a statement that said Le Pen “played a role in the public life of our country for almost 70 years, which is now a matter for history to judge.”