When the Jean-Marie Le Pen's away, the French will play

Yesterday, the founder of the National Front Jean-Marie Le Pen passed away at the age of 96. Today, the internet is flooded with memes, tweets, and TikToks of all kinds, where the French express their joy and unleash a level of dark humor probably never seen before. As early as last night, thousands gathered in the public squares of several major French cities to celebrate the death of the far-right politician, organizing fireworks, drinks, and banners as colorful and creative as ever. While Marine by Diam’s, known for its refrain “who do I despise? The National Front,” became an anthem for the French leftist youth a few months ago amidst the frightening rise of the far-right, yesterday, it echoed once again across the streets of France, from the south to the north, and from the west to the east. 

These public celebrations were accompanied by tweets as creative as they were numerous. Among them, “It’s Franck Ebony’s semifinal; he couldn’t take it” (a reference to the Star Academy semifinal featuring two contestants of color), users declaring they’d already ended their Dry January to celebrate, or comments like “an angel gone too late,” “trouble to his soul,” or “he’s watching us from below,” the internet went wild. This behavior didn’t sit well with everyone and shocked many, including some politicians like Bruno Retailleau, who wrote on X, “Nothing, absolutely nothing, justifies dancing on a grave. The death of a man, even a political adversary, should inspire only restraint and dignity. These scenes of joy are simply shameful.”

A moral question thus arises: can we rejoice at the death of a human being if they committed atrocious acts and made horrific statements in their lifetime? According to the hundreds gathered to celebrate this death, the answer is yes: “Normally, I don’t celebrate someone’s death, but with him, it’s different,” explained one attendee. As the far-right gains ground and the July 2024 elections brought alarming results, this death represents far more than the end of a life for French youth—it represents the end of extremist ideologies and a politics rooted in hate, racism, homophobia, and more. “This should be a day of hope, a day of humanity in France, a day of collective spirit, all together, against fascism, racism, anti-Semitism, and Islamophobia. That’s why it’s important to be here today,” explained a protester attending a giant gathering at Place de la République in Paris. One thing is certain: while it is indeed the death of a man, a father, and a friend, let’s hope it also marks the loss of the values he shared and sought to spread. May Jean-Marie Le Pen’s burial signify the disappearance of his grave and dangerous ideas.