PARIS, Jan. 7 (Xinhua) -- Founder of the French far-right wing party National Front Jean-Marie Le Pen died on Tuesday in France at the age of 96, French news channel BFMTV reported.
Jean-Marie Le Pen co-founded in 1972 the National Front party which has been known as the National Rally since 2018.
He was president of the far-right wing party until 2011 when he was succeeded by his daughter Marine Le Pen. Later, he was expelled from the party.
In his long political career, Jean-Marie Le Pen entered surprisingly the presidential runoff in 2002 against the then French President, Jacques Chirac.
French President Emmanuel Macron expressed his condolences to the Le Pen family on Tuesday. ■
