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Jean-Marie Le Pen, the founder of France’s far-right National Front party and a controversial figure in French politics, has died at the age of 96, French media said on Tuesday.

Le Pen reached the second round of the 2002 French presidential election, in a moment that shocked France and led voters to vote heavily for his opponent Jacques Chirac to block the far right from power.

His daughter, Marine Le Pensucceeded him as party leader in 2011 and twice reached the second round of the presidential elections. He sought to soften the image of the party, renamed it Rassemblement National and excluded his father from the party.

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