France’s Le Pen steps down as party leader

Paris, April 25 

French far-right presidential hopeful Marine Le Pen has announced that she is stepping down as leader of her National Front (FN) party to focus on gathering a large number of voters ahead of the decisive round in May.

The move comes just a day after she reached the second round of the French Presidential elections, where she will face centrist Emmanuel Macron on May 7.

In the first round of voting centrist Emmanuel Macron won 23.9 per cent and Le Pen received 21.4 per cent.

Le Pen told French TV on Monday night that she needed to be above partisan considerations. The 48-year-old presidential contender succeeded her father Jean-Marie Le Pen in 2011 to head the NF party. — IANS