Jean-Marie Le Pen, an unabashed nationalist and founder of the French far-right National Front (Front National) party, has died aged 96, French media said on Tuesday.
Le Pen shook the French political establishment when he unexpectedly reached the presidential election run-off vote against Jacques Chirac in 2002, with his pugnacious mix of populism and charisma.
He was succeeded as party chief by his daughter, Marine Le Pen, who has since run for the presidency three times and turned the party, now branded the National Rally, into one of the country's main political forces.

Several people killed as bus crashes into stop in Stockholm
Drone, missile attack on Kyiv injures 26, damages buildings
BBC apologises to Trump over speech edit but rejects defamation claim
Indian Prime Minister Modi's alliance set to easily win Bihar vote
