L e P en, J ean‐ M arie (1928–), M arine L e P en (1968–), and the Front National

Abstract

The Front National (FN) is a “far‐right” political party in France, also labelled as “extreme right” or “radical right,” which was founded in 1972 by Jean‐Marie Le Pen. He remained its controversial leader for nearly four decades until 2011 when his youngest daughter, Marine Le Pen, replaced him after a leadership contest with the then deputy leader Bruno Gollnisch. The FN's rationale was initially based on an anticommunist, anti‐immigrant, and antisystem stance and the party remained marginalized in electoral terms until the early 1980s. It has subsequently become one of the most significant and durable “far‐right” parties in Europe, adopting a rhetorical discourse clearly emphasizing anti‐Islam and anti‐EU/globalization sentiment. Under Marine Le Pen's leadership the FN has successfully broadened its electoral appeal as nearly 6.5 million French citizens backed her candidacy in the first round of the 2012 Presidential elections.