French far-right firebrand Jean-Marie Le Pen announced Saturday the creation of a political association, distinct from the National Front party he co-founded and was recently ousted from after feuding with its current leader, his daughter.
The 87-year-old made the announcement in Marseille where FN is holding a party conference through Sunday with its president Marine Le Pen wanting to focus on regional elections set for December, AFP reported.
But a few kilometers away in an upmarket restaurant, her father was meeting over lunch with around 300 supporters.
Jean-Marie Le Pen expressed his wish to start a movement dubbed the “Blue White and Red Rally”, aiming to unite those without FN party membership and those still loyal to him.
“I propose that we join together; you will not be orphans, in the Blue, White and Red Rally... to take action in the same way as the National Front, without belonging to it,” he said.
“The National Front and Marine Le Pen will not be able to refuse our move,” Le Pen declared.
But that’s not exactly the way his daughter saw it.
“Jean-Marie Le Pen can create all the associations he wants–he’s been promising one for many months–(but) there are no associations within the FN,” said Marine Le Pen.
Le Pen was stripped of his FN membership by the party’s executive committee last month following a damaging five-month family feud with his daughter.
