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Le Pen proposes to change Front National's name to 'National Rally'

Marine Le Pen unveils new name of 'Rassemblement National', which still needs final approval, saying current name was 'psychological barrier'.    

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France's far-right leader Marine Le Pen has proposed changing her party's name to National Rally ('Rassemblement national' in French) from National Front in a bid to improve its image, reports the BBC.

She told members that the current name was a "psychological barrier" for voters.

The plan to change the party's name was approved by a slim majority and members will get to vote again on the proposal.

Ms Le Pen was defeated by President Emmanuel Macron in a run-off vote last year.

Since then the party has lost voters and Ms Le Pen has come under attack from her father Jean-Marie Le Pen, who founded the party in 1972.

Mr Le Pen, 89, told Reuters last month that a name change would be political "suicide".

But Ms Le Pen hopes it will change attitudes to her party, which is associated by many voters with racism and anti-Semitism, and make it easier to form alliances with other parties.

Read more of this report from the BBC.