France’s Jean-Marie Le Pen ‘pulls out of poll’

FRANCE, APR 13: The founder of the French National Front, Jean-Marie Le Pen, has said he is pulling out of regional elections amid a row with his daughter.

Marine Le Pen, who now leads the far-right party, condemned her father for his recently repeated claims Nazi gas chambers were a “detail of history”.

He told the Figaro he would not be standing in the south-eastern Provence-Alpes-Cote d’Azur (Paca) region .

But he said he thought he was “the best candidate for the National Front”.

Opinion polls suggest Marine Le Pen is likely to make it to the second round of 2017 presidential elections, although she is not predicted to win.

The National Front also made significant gains in local elections last month, polling 25% of votes in the first round.

‘Wise move’

Mr Le Pen said his 25-year-old granddaughter Marion Marechal-Le Pen – Ms Le Pen’s niece – would be the best person to stand in his place.

“If she accepts, I think she would head a very good list [of candidates]. She is certainly the best, I am not going to say after me, but she is,” he told the newspaper’s weekly magazine.

Mr Le Pen, who is honorary president of the party, is to publish a statement later on Monday to confirm his intentions regarding the election, the newspaper reports.

BBC