Politics Hundreds celebrate death of far-right extremist Le Pen in France
Hundreds celebrated the death of the right-wing extremist Jean-Marie Le Pen in France with cheers and fireworks. Conservative Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau reacted with incomprehension and harsh criticism.
07.01.2025, 23:52
SDA
"Nothing, absolutely nothing justifies dancing on a corpse," he wrote on the X platform. Even the death of a political opponent should only inspire restraint and dignity. "These scenes of jubilation are quite simply disgraceful."
Demonstrators gathered on the Place de la République in Paris in the evening. A video from the BFMTV channel showed people bumping into each other and being in an exuberant mood. The gathering was called by the small left-wing party Nouveau Parti Anticapitaliste. It also hosted "aperitifs", or after-work drinks, in numerous other cities. "Jean-Marie Le Pen is finally dead", the party wrote on X together with a smiley face with a party hat and a horn.
The local radio station France Bleu reported around 200 demonstrators in Strasbourg. According to the newspaper "Le Parisien", 200 to 300 people also gathered in Lyon and Marseille to celebrate Le Pen's death.
The long-time far-right leadership icon and founder of the Front National party, Jean-Marie Le Pen, died at the age of 96. His party, which was renamed the Rassemblement National, is currently the strongest opposition force in the National Assembly. Le Pen's daughter Marine, who had broken politically with her father, has been the leading force in the party for years. She made it to the run-off in the last two presidential elections, where she was defeated by Emmanuel Macron on both occasions.
