Marion maréchal Defends Grandfather Jean-Marie Le Pen Against Anti-Semitism Accusations
Marion Maréchal, a French politician and author, stated on Sunday that she does not believe her grandfather, Jean-Marie Le Pen, was anti-Semitic, while acknowledging his past controversial statements. Speaking on BFMTV,she said,”I,who knew him personally,don’t believe it,” when questioned about the co-founder of the National Front (now National Rally).
Le Pen has been repeatedly criticized for remarks widely considered anti-Semitic, including his infamous claim that the Holocaust was merely “a detail” of history, for which he faced legal repercussions. Maréchal responded to these criticisms by stating, “Do condemnations search the hearts and minds of men? I don’t believe it.” She recently published a book titled “Si vous vous sentez Le Pen” (If You Feel Like Le Pen) with Fayard.
The comments come amidst ongoing efforts by the National Rally (RN) to distance itself from its controversial past and appeal to a broader electorate.
Maréchal emphasized her disagreement with her grandfather’s words,stating,”Now it’s true that I don’t dwell on it less,I won’t hide it from you,as I have other ambitions in life than going to spit on my grandfather’s grave.” She believes that “the disagreements and misunderstanding, including with regard to French people of Jewish faith, (have) been largely resolved,” pointing to her and Marine Le Pen’s participation in a demonstration against anti-Semitism in the fall of 2023.
In March 2024, Jordan Bardella, the current president of the RN, became the first leader of the party officially invited by the Israeli government to a conference on combating anti-Semitism, an event Maréchal also attended. Bardella initially stated in May 2024 that he did not believe jean-Marie Le Pen was anti-Semitic, a statement he later walked back, admitting that Le Pen had made “eminently anti-Semitic” comments and acknowledging a “clumsiness” in his earlier remarks.
Sources: