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The leader of France's National Front, Jean-Marie Le Pen, stepped down Saturday, marking the end of an era for his anti-immigrant party. As expected, Le Pen's daughter, Marine, was named as the new champion at the party conference ahead of next year's presidential election. In a farewell speech to supporters, the 82-year-old ex-paratrooper rejected the outrage sparked over the years by comments that saw him branded a racist but that did not stop him from garnering double-digit percentages of the vote in several presidential races. Marine Le Pen, 42, beat rival Bruno Gollnisch to become head of one of Western Europe's most enduringly successful anti-immigrant movements. The blonde, twice-divorced mother of three is credited with offering a softer image of the party. Recent polls say about 17 percent of the French would vote for her to lead the nation, posing a big challenge for right-wing President Nicolas Sarkozy. Like her father, Marine Le Pen has not avoided causing outrage with outspoken comments. Last month she compared Muslims praying in the streets outside overcrowded mosques in France to the Nazi occupation. AFP |
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