Jean-Marie Le Pen, the founder of France’s main far-right party and a polarizing figure in French politics, is being buried in a private family ceremony in his hometown of La Trinité-sur-Mer in Brittany.

For years, the far-right National Rally tried to distance itself from Mr. Le Pen’s racist and antisemitic remarks. But after his death Tuesday, it hailed him as a visionary.

Jean-Marie Le Pen, founder of the French far-right political party the National Front, has died aged 96, a senior party official has announced.

PARIS (AP) — Jean-Marie Le Pen, the founder of France’s far-right National Front who was known for fiery rhetoric against immigration and multiculturalism that earned him both staunch supporters and widespread condemnation, has died. He was 96.

Through five unsuccessful runs for president, Le Pen espoused racist and antisemitic rhetoric that landed him in legal trouble in France

Controversy was Le Pen's constant companion: accusations of racism and antisemitism dogged the National Front from when he co-founded the party.

Jean-Marie Le Pen, founder of the French far-right nationalist party formerly known as the National Front, was buried on Saturday. Le Pen died on Tuesday at the age of 96. Around 100 police officers were on duty for the funeral in La Trinité-sur-Mer in Brittany.

The elder Le Pen is dead, but far-right populists across the world still echo his mix of violent rhetoric, brazen lies, and outreach to mainstream conservatives.

Jean-Marie Le Pen, founder of France’s far-right National Rally (RN) party, has died aged 96. Le Pen, who led the party for nearly four decades until 2011, when it was called National Front (FN), had previously been taken to hospital with suspected heart problems.

He ran unsuccessfully for the French presidency five times, riding waves of discontent and xenophobia as the leader of the National Front party.

He co-founded what became France’s biggest opposition party, National Rally, rooted in deep anti-immigrant sentiment.