Le Pen’s early years are overshadowed by the death of her father and the threat of the end of her political career, writes ‘s France reporter Miina Väisänen.
Miina VäisänenFrench journalist
PARIS Marine Le Pen was sitting on a plane on his way to Paris when he got the news of his father’s death.
Far-right party Le Pen, one of the leading figures of the National Coalition, visited the island of Mayotte in the French overseas territories, which was devastated by a hurricane in December, at the beginning of the week.
Le Pen’s father, founder of the far-right party National Front Jean-Marie Le Pen died on Tuesday at the age of 96.
Le Pen found out about her father’s passing only when they were on the same plane after the editors. They got the information during a layover in Kenya from a press release from the news agency AFP.
The reporters informed Marine Le Pen’s press manager, who was sitting on the plane, who in turn relayed the news to Le Pen.
After this, Marine Le Pen was seen leaving the cockpit and coming back to the cabin looking like she was crying.
The picture of the crying politician made headlines
On Wednesday, the entertainment magazine Paris Match published a picture of Marine Le Pen crying on the plane on the messaging service X.
This was too much for Le Pen’s party.
President of the National Alliance Jordan Bardella wrote a message on the message service X in which he severely criticized the publication.
In his message, he said that the party had been in contact with the magazine’s editors and said that the magazine stood behind the publication.
– If shame had a name tonight, it would be Paris Match, Bardella said on the messaging service X.
Paris Match eventually removed the photo. Later, Bardella also removed his publication.
The French media is now debating whether the publication of the photo – and its removal – was justified. Is a politician’s grief a public matter?
Although Marine Le Pen has been seen in public since she was a child because of her father’s career, showing a photo of a sensitive moment was considered vulgar by many.
Le Pen is not only a politician, but also a daughter who mourns the passing of her father.
However, the photo revealed something that the general public is not used to seeing: the sensitive side of the French Iron Lady.
This could be both an opportunity and a threat for Le Pen. Showing vulnerability can, on the one hand, bring sympathy, on the other hand, it can erode the protection of a politician who is considered tough.
Le Pen’s political career in danger
Marine Le Pen’s first year looks challenging from a human perspective.
In addition to the father’s death, Le Pen is accused in court of misuse and embezzlement of EU funds.
Le Pen faces not only a prison sentence, but also a ban from office for several years.
The verdict will come at the end of March. It is very likely that Le Pen will be found guilty.
It could mean the end of his political career and the loss of his biggest dream, the presidency, once and for all.
The next presidential election will be held in France in 2027. If Le Pen were to run, she would have a good chance of winning. Having finished second in the two previous presidential elections Le Pen’s popularity is now bigger than ever.
Banning from office would, however, prevent participation in the next election.
Dad’s legacy is alive and well
Marine Le Pen will lay her father’s grave to rest today, Saturday. The family funeral will be held in Jean-Marie Le Pen’s hometown of Trinité-sur-Mer in western France.
The relationship between father and daughter was due to political differences for a long time difficult ones.
Marine Le Pen became the leader of the party founded by her father in 2011. In 2015, the daughter got angry at her father’s anti-Semitic comments and kicked him out of the party.
In 2018, he changed the name of the party to the National Alliance.
Despite the disputes, France has not seen a political clan like Le Pen. Marine Le Pen can thank her father for the political legacy on which her daughter has also been able to build her career.
Jean-Marie Le Pen was the politician who sowed the seeds of anti-immigration and right-wing populism in France. Le Pen’s openly racist statements sound less radical today than they did 20 years ago.
The French far right and Marine Le Pen are stronger than ever. That is precisely why a possible verdict in court would be particularly stinging for Le Pen now.