France holds funeral for co-founder of main postwar far-right movement

The private funeral for Jean-Marie Le Pen, co-founder of France's main postwar far-right movement, took place on January 11 under heightened security.

His death at the age of 96 highlighted the divisive legacy of a figure who had long stirred controversy in the country, Caliber.Az reports via foreign media.

The ceremony in his hometown of La Trinité-sur-Mer, located in western Brittany, was attended by his daughter Marine Le Pen, who inherited her father's political legacy, along with other family members and close friends. In anticipation of the event, authorities ramped up security, setting up barriers around the cemetery and deploying dozens of police officers.

The increased security and a ban on protests followed incidents earlier in the week, where hundreds took to the streets in Paris and other cities to celebrate Le Pen’s death with champagne. 

Marine Le Pen, along with her sister Marie-Caroline, walked a few hundred meters from the family home to the small Saint-Joseph Church under clear skies, passing by a small crowd of onlookers and several dozen journalists. Neither Marion Maréchal, Jean-Marie Le Pen's granddaughter and a well-known far-right politician, nor Jordan Bardella, the current leader of the party Le Pen co-founded (now known as the National Rally), were seen entering the church through the main entrance. 

Approximately 200 people were expected to attend the ceremony inside the church. Following the service, Le Pen will be laid to rest in the vault where his parents are buried. Some local residents took the opportunity to praise Le Pen's dedication to France. The regional authorities issued a ban on demonstrations to prevent "the risk of disruption and counter-protests that could lead to clashes." Additionally, a public ceremony will be held on January 16 at the Notre Dame du Val-de-Grace church in Paris. Left-wing opponents stated they could not mourn the death of a "fascist." 

However, the government condemned the rallies celebrating Le Pen's passing, with Prime Minister François Bayrou referring to him as a "fighter" and a "figure of French political life," remarks that sparked outrage on the left. Le Pen's National Front (FN), a staunchly anti-immigration party, made a significant impact on French politics, notably eliminating Socialist Lionel Jospin in the 2002 presidential election to face off against right-winger Jacques Chirac in the runoff. 

Often called "the devil of the Republic" by his critics, Le Pen was known for his overtly racist views, openly anti-Semitic stance (for which he was convicted), and his boastful admission of torturing prisoners during France’s war in Algeria.

Marine Le Pen, his politician daughter, quickly took steps to make the far-right movement more politically viable by rebranding it as the National Rally (RN) and launching a strategy of "dediabolisation" (de-demonisation). She expelled her father from the party over his anti-Semitic views, though they reconciled in recent years. President Emmanuel Macron refrained from offering any personal remarks on Le Pen's death. 

His office issued a brief written statement, stating that history would judge Le Pen and expressing the president's condolences to the family. However, Le Pen's passing was seen as a sign of his political rehabilitation, with prominent figures from the National Rally swiftly praising his contributions.

By Naila Huseynova