France’s National Front says that 94% of party members wanted honorary chairman Jean-Marie Le Pen out of the party he helped found over four decades ago, reports The Wall Street Journal.
The French far-right party released the results of a partywide vote conducted earlier this month, weeks after Mr. Le Pen reiterated comments he made 25 years ago belittling the Holocaust. Of the total 51,552 party members, 28,664 participated in the vote, a spokesman said.
The vote has no legal value, as a French court recently ruled that the tally violated the party’s internal rules. Still, it could undermine Mr. Le Pen’s efforts to cling on to the party he put on the country’s political map. The release of the vote’s results, despite the court’s ruling, could also exacerbate tensions between Mr. Le Pen and his daughter, party leader Marine Le Pen, with whom he has been locked in a fierce battle for months over the future of the party.
“This massive vote shows the high level of confidence party members have for the National Front leadership,” the party spokesman said.