Jean-Marie Le Pen and the rise of the far right in France: A look at key dates

Jean-Marie Le Pen, the founder of France’s main far-right party, has died at 96. Anti-immigration and nationalist ideas that propelled his decades of popularity remain ascendant in the country, across Europe and beyond. Le Pen’s daughter, Marine Le Pen, transformed the National Front, now named the National Rally, into one of France’s most powerful political forces. She is eyeing the 2027 presidential election.