France’s Jean-Marie le Pen Pulls Out of Regional Elections
PARIS—Jean-Marie Le Pen, founder of France’s National Front, has bent to the will of his daughter by stepping back from running in upcoming regional elections.
Mr. Le Pen’s decision defuses a potentially explosive crisis for the party and his family after Marine Le Pen—who succeeded her father as president of the far-right party in 2011—slammed him for repeating comments belittling the holocaust and said she would oppose him running on a National Front ticket in December’s regional elections.
Asked in an interview Monday with French weekly Le Figaro Magazine whether he would run in the southeast of France in December’s elections, he said: “No. Even though I think I was the best candidate for the National Front.”
The spat between Ms. Le Pen and her father has exposed a struggle over the direction of the far-right party.
http://www.wsj.com/articles/frances-jean-marie-le-pen-pulls-out-of-regional-elections-1428925311
