French far-right leader openly `opposes` father in major party rift

Paris: The leader of France`s far-right National Front (FN) party, Marine Le Pen, said Wednesday she would "oppose" her father standing in upcoming regional elections, in a major party and family rift.

After a series of controversial comments, including over Nazi gas chambers, Jean-Marie Le Pen`s position appears to sit somewhere "between a scorched earth strategy and political suicide", daughter Marine said in a statement.

She added she would oppose him standing in December`s regional polls at a party meeting taking place on April 17.

Jean-Marie Le Pen, the founder of the FN, last week reiterated his belief that gas chambers were a mere "detail" of World War II -- an assertion he has made repeatedly over nearly three decades, earning convictions for hate speech along the way.

This time, though, the comment appears to have been one too many.

Speaking of her "deep sadness," his daughter Marine said she would call a top brass meeting at the party "to discuss with him how to best protect the political interests of the National Front."

"His status of honorary president does not allow him to take the National Front hostage, to make such crass provocations that appear aimed at harming me but which unfortunately hit the entire movement, its officials, candidates, members and voters very hard."

Since taking over the FN in 2011, Marine Le Pen has sought to make the party a more palatable alternative for mainstream voters. 

The strategy helped lead the FN to first place in last year`s European elections in France and a quarter of the votes in the first round of local polls last month.