Former leader of the French National Front party Jean-Marie Le Pen has died.

The former leader of the French National Front party, Jean-Marie Le Pen, died at the age of 96, AFP reports, citing the politician’s family.

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“Jean-Marie Le Pen <…> died on Tuesday at the age of 96,” the material states.

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According to the agency, Le Pen died surrounded by his family in a medical facility in the city of Garches near Paris. He was admitted there a few weeks ago.
Le Pen’s health has deteriorated sharply in recent years.

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For this reason, the court previously exempted him from appearing at the hearings against him, his daughter Marine Le Pen and other members of the National Rally in the case of an alleged fictitious recruitment of employees in the European Parliament.

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Distinguished by his extreme right-wing views, Le Pen participated in the struggle for the presidency five times. In 2011, he ceded leadership of the party to his daughter Marine Le Pen, and in 2015 he was expelled from the political force. In 2018, the National Front party was renamed the National Rally. In 2019, Le Pen’s mandate as a European deputy expired, but he often appeared in the media, commenting on current events in the country.