Far- right French party’s feud gets worse

Paris, May 5: After being blackballed by France’s far- right National Front, party founder Jean- Marie Le Pen on Tuesday hit back at its current leader, his daughter, saying it would be “scandalous” if she were to be elected President of France.

The 86- year- old, who led the party for four decades, was suspended Monday over comments in which he dismissed Nazi gas chambers as a triviality, leading to a bitter feud with his daughter Marine. The younger Ms Le Pen has been actively trying to distance the party from its racist and anti- Semitic image as she plans her bid for the next French presidential election in 2017.

But her firebrand father’s refusal to tone back controversial remarks, such as the need to defend the “white world”, has led to a public dispute between the two. Furious at his suspension, and the threat of losing his title of honorary party president, the octogenarian turned harshly on his daughter, accusing her of “betrayal” and saying he no longer wanted to see her win 2017 elections.

He said his suspension was a “criminal act,” vowed to “disown” his daughter and ordered her to “give up her name.” “If such moral principles should govern the French state, that would be scandalous,” he said in a radio interview. Asked if he wanted his daughter to win the 2017 election, Mr Le Pen said: “For the moment, no.”