January 31st 2025.
Jean-Marie Le Pen, the controversial leader of the far-right National Front party in France, is often credited for the current popularity of the party. However, just weeks after his burial, his tomb has been vandalized, causing significant damage. Le Pen, who was known for his polarizing anti-immigration views and founded the National Front in the 1970s, passed away at the age of 96. He was laid to rest in the Brittany region on January 11, but less than a month later, his final resting place was desecrated.
Photos posted by one of Le Pen's daughters on social media show the tomb, which also houses other deceased family members, shattered into pieces. Local news reports state that a sledgehammer was used to cause the destruction. The burial site had been under heavy police surveillance before and after the funeral, due to its political sensitivity. However, the security measures were later reduced. Marie-Caroline Le Pen, one of Le Pen's daughters, expressed her shock and disgust on social media, stating that those who attack the dead are capable of the worst against the living.
French authorities have condemned the vandalism, with Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau calling it an "absolute abjection." He emphasized the importance of respecting the dead as a sign of civilization. As a result, patrols of the site will now be increased once again. Le Pen's extreme views gained popularity in the 1980s and made the National Front a significant but controversial presence in French politics. However, under his leadership, the party never achieved more than 15% of the vote in National Assembly elections.
After Le Pen's daughter Marine took over the party, it gained more success, but she ultimately kicked her father out in 2015 due to his repeated minimization of the Holocaust. Under his leadership, Le Pen focused his divisive rhetoric on Islam and Muslim immigrants, blaming them for France's social and economic problems. This ideology has continued to be a prominent aspect of the National Front's platform, even after his passing. Le Pen's legacy remains a divisive and complex topic in France, but the vandalism of his tomb serves as a reminder of the ongoing tensions and controversies surrounding him and his party.
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