Jean-Marie Le Pen

Jean-Marie Le Pen was born in 1928 in France. According to the Guardian, Le Pen was a supporter of France's Vichy government during World War 2. He has also made powerful statements belittling the Holocaust, despite Frances laws against denying the atrocities of the war. Unfortunately, there were many French people who were sympathetic to the Nazi cause, and many of them held on to their sentiments after the war ended.

Le Pen, however, is unique in that he founded a political party based on his beliefs. The National Front (Le Pen's party) was founded in 1972 and served as a counterweight to France's leftist movement. Le Pen's party received support mainly from the working class, as the group suffered from high crime and unemployment in the late 80s and 90s.

While Le Pen never did become the President of France, he succeeded in pulling the politics of France farther to the right. The French political system does not work in the same manner as our own. In France there are many political parties ranging from communist to fascist. If any one party receives 15 percent of the popular vote in every district, the party would receive 15 percent of the representation in France, but no representation here (partially because of the winner take all system). Because of this, a party that receives 15 percent of the popular vote in the primary election could win the presidency by forming a coalition. In 2002 the Le Pen party polled a startling 18 percent in the primary election. The Socialist and Communist parties were forced to back a moderate right party rather than risk a victory by the National Front. In this manner, the National Front succeeded in shifting the politics to the right, even though it failed to take the presidency. This effect was repeated in the most recent election by Le Pen's daughter, who is now the National Front's leader.

The creation of the National Front represents a return to older values and the "political pendulum" after a leftist leaning that started in 1969 with France's student riots.

Sources:
britannica.com
biography.com
theguardian.com
theguardian.com