The death of Jean-Marie Le Pen, former leader of the party once known as the National Front, occurs at a time when the mainstreaming of far-right politics in France seems almost complete. Le Pen was,

He co-founded what became France’s biggest opposition party, National Rally, rooted in deep anti-immigrant sentiment.

Jean-Marie Le Pen, founder of France’s far-right National Front party, has died at 96. A polarizing figure, he shaped French politics for over 40 years by tapping into concerns over immigration and globalisation.