Interior Minister horrified

Hundreds of French people celebrate Le Pen’s death

In several major cities - here in Paris - there were spontaneous celebrations.

(Bild: APA/AFP/Dimitar DILKOFF)

The news of the death of French right-wing extremist Jean-Marie Le Pen has led to spontaneous celebrations on the streets of several French cities. Many a joyous rally got out of hand. There were also arrests.

Three arrests were made in Paris and seven in Lyon, the police announced on Wednesday. Several hundred people had gathered in both cities and in Marseille on Tuesday to celebrate Le Pen's death. Some fireworks were set off and garbage cans were set on fire. Among others, the small left-wing party Nouveau Parti Anticapitaliste had called for a gathering on social media on the Place de la Republique in the center of the capital. The invitation featured a smiley face with a party hat (see below).

"What a beautiful day"
There, participants toasted each other and held up banners reading "What a beautiful day" or "The dirty racist is dead". The question "Where is he?" was asked several times at the top of their voices. To which the crowd replied: "In hell!" "I'm glad this racist is dead. He did so much damage to the country. Although I wasn't born here, I think it's important to be here," a left-wing activist told the AFP news agency.

There were scenes of jubilation in several major cities - here in Paris.

(Bild: APA/AFP/Dimitar DILKOFF)

Macron with a terse reaction
Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau reacted with horror to the celebrations. "Nothing, absolutely nothing justifies dancing on a corpse," the conservative politician posted on the short message platform X (see above). President Emmanuel Macron reacted to the death of the 96-year-old Front National founder with a brief statement: "As a historical figure of the extreme right, he played a role in the public life of our country for almost seventy years, which is now subject to the judgment of history." He expressed his condolences to the relatives. Prime Minister François Bayrou called Le Pen a "figure of French political life". "When you fought against him, you knew what a fighter he was."

Difficult relationship between father and daughter
According to media reports, daughter Marine Le Pen learned of her father's death on her return from the overseas territory of Mayotte in the Indian Ocean. She bid farewell to the fisherman's son from Brittany with a phrase commonly used in French seafaring: "A venerable age had taken the warrior but given us back our father. Good wind, good sea, Papa," the 56-year-old also wrote on X.  

The relationship between the right-wing leadership icon and her father had been difficult for years. Marine Le Pen, who had taken over the party, wanted to "de-diabolize" it and make it electable right down to the center of society. To do this, she broke politically with her father, who was ultimately expelled from the party. The Front National renamed itself the Rassemblement National.