Following the death of the so-called ‘father’ of the European far right, ‘Euronews’ evaluates the most shocking moments of his time as an MP.
Jean-Marie Le Pen passed away on Tuesday, January 7, at the age of 96. Leader of the National Front (FN) Renamed National Group (RN) The experienced politician had served as a member of parliament for 35 years when his daughter Marine took over. During this time he left an indelible mark on the European Parliament. From insults and Holocaust denial to legal troubles, here are the late MP’s most controversial moments.
1. “Gas chambers were just a detail of World War II”
Always provocative, Le Pen raised the issue of the Holocaust in an edition of the program ‘Le Grand Jury’ broadcast on ‘RTL’ in 1987. “I’m not saying gas chambers don’t exist. But I think this: These are nothing but a detail “In the history of World War II,” he said.
This anger resurfaced in the European Parliament in 2009, where he took a firm stand. “I remain firm in my view that the gas chambers are nothing more than a detail in the history of the Second World War,” he said. an angry Le Penhe rolled his eyes as the crowd of lawmakers visibly booed him.
It was an idea he repeated for decades. Despite his regret in 1995, in 1997 doubled. “In a thousand-page book about the Second World War, concentration camps are on two pages and gas chambers are on 15 lines. We call this detail,” he said.
2. Anything but Le Pen
Le Pen was controversial among colleagues The European Parliament changed its regulations to prevent him from presiding over sessions. Until 2009, it was a tradition for the oldest member of parliament to preside over the first plenary session of the Parliament. I am waiting for the new president to be elected.
To prevent this situation, centre-right and left MPs They encouraged changes to the internal regulations of the European Parliament. The incumbent president now presides over the first session, and if he is not re-elected, the most senior vice president or longest-serving member of parliament takes over.
3. “It’s like being among the Bolsheviks”
In September 2011, during a discussion about the attacks that had occurred in Norway two months earlier, Le Pen said that the immigrant population Massacre committed by a far-right person. French Greens MP Daniel Cohn-Bendit reacted to this situation and said: “It is unacceptable that the European Parliament welcomes a member who makes such racist and disgusting comments.”
In response, an angry Le Pen replied: “I was attacked by pedophile Cohn-Bendit. I have the right to recall that you were accused of harboring a terrorist from the Red Army Faction. I have the right to defend my honor.” Upon these words, her daughter Marine Le Pen could not help laughing. When Jerzy Buzek, the President of the European Parliament at the time, cut off her microphone, Le Pen shouted: “I feel like I’m among the Bolsheviks here!“.
4. MPs against journalists: Parliamentary fight
Jean-Marie Le Pen’s polarizing power was so strong that tensions were rising even when he was not in the room. Best example? In April 2002, A fight broke out between MPs and journalists Stationed in one of the press rooms of the European Parliament.
Le Pen had canceled the press conference at the last minute, citing fear of being interrupted by hostile colleagues campaigning against her. That’s why the atmosphere was so unpleasant His absence caused a fight between the journalists he trapped and the MPs in the room.
The result was a chaotic situation in which journalists and parliamentarians clashed. swearing insult. Where was Le Pen when the press confronted MPs? Used several backdoors to find politicians way back to officeHere he greeted a journalist and assured him that he was “not discouraged” by all the turmoil surrounding him.
5. One year disqualification
Le Pen was no stranger to the courts. appeared frequently With accusations of glorifying war crimes, denying the Holocaust, inciting hatred or public insults. But his conviction for violent crime cost him his seat in the European Parliament for a year.
In 1997, the EP attacked a socialist candidate during parliamentary elections in the Paris region. happened convicted of assault a year later. This conviction also caused him to temporarily lose his position as a councilor in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur region.
After a legal struggle in France and at the European level, he was finally deported in April 2003. will return to European elections next year. “A great injustice and completely disproportionate sanctions,” he said at the time of his expulsion.
6. Farewell to the “useless” European Parliament
Jean-Marie Le Pen did not shed a tear as he bid farewell to the European Parliament after sitting in the parliament for 35 years. Instead, he used his final speech, a bitter four-minute monologue in French. We deplore the alleged “uselessness” of the European Parliament against the “immigrant invasion”.
ADVERT“You MPs who remain blind, deaf and dumb will be cursed by the future. Europe is weak. “Worse still, it paralyzes the national responses that should mobilize its people.”
After complaining that the institution was “nothing more than a windmill dragging sacks of sand instead of sacks of grain”, Le Pen said this was her only memory of serving as an MP: a huge number of eight consecutive termsIt was “a feeling of ineffectiveness”. He finished his speech to applause from Eurosceptics.
7. Fake National Front jobs scandal
Jean-Marie Le Pen and his party FN were accused of embezzlement between 2004 and 2016. The decision is expected to be made on March 31, 2025However, Le Pen will never be blamed for his death.
Thus, the lawsuit was filed last September. Alleged embezzlement of European funds by Le Pen’s party. Twenty-five people, including Jean-Marie Le Pen, They are accused of diverting European fundsIt aimed to pay parliamentary assistantships to MPs who actually worked in the party between 2004 and 2016.
ADVERTJean-Marie Le Pen He was declared unfit to attend the hearing. due to his delicate health condition. His lawyer explained that he “can no longer travel and his abilities are greatly impaired.”
