Marine Le Pen declares open war on father

The leader of France’s far-right National Front launched an all-out offensive yesterdayagainst her father, Jean-Marie Le Pen, opposing his candidacy in upcoming elections and entering into an open war with the man who helped found the party more than four decades ago.

Marine Le Pen, reacting to anti-Semitic remarks her father first made 28 years ago and recently repeated, said in a statement she will quickly convene the party’s executive bureau to seek “means to best protect the political interests of the National Front.”

Above all, Le Pen said she informed her 86-year-old father she will personally oppose his candidacy in December regional elections to represent an area of southern France where he is a popular figure — and where he might hope to win.