The family rift in France’s National Front deepened yesterday after founder Jean-Marie Le Pen pulled out of regional elections – but said his granddaughter should stand in his place. The 86-year-old’s announcement came after he infuriated his daughter Marine, the far-right party’s current leader, with a series of racist and anti-Semitic remarks last week. Mr Le Pen had repeated his claim that the Holocaust - in which the Nazis murdered six million Jews - was ‘a detail of history’ and had also praised France’s wartime leader Marshal Petain, who collaborated with Hitler. Keeping it in the family: National Front founder Jean-Marie Le Pen, 86, right,  angered daughter Marine, 46, and now wants granddaughter Marion Marechal-Le Pen, 25, to replace him in the regional elections . Next generation: Shortly after her grandfather's comments, Marion Marechal-Le Pen, 25, pictured with Le Pen in 2012, confirmed that she would seek the party’s nomination . His 46-year-old daughter had reacted furiously to the outburst, saying she would oppose his candidacy in regional elections in December and accusing him of ‘political suicide’. Now party founder Le Pen has told French publication Le Figaro that he will not stand in the south-east Provence-Alpes-Cote d’Azur region ‘even though I think I am the best candidate’. He said it was because the party was at risk of being ‘dangerously weakened’ over what he called a severe but unjustified crisis over his comments. The former paratrooper, who remains the Front’s honorary president and will retain his seat in the European Parliament, said: ‘If I must make a sacrifice for the future of the movement, I would not be the one to cause it damage,’ Mr Le Pen said the best replacement candidate would be his grand-daughter Marion Marechal-Le Pen, 25, who confirmed shortly after that she would seek the party’s nomination. Family feud: National Front leader Marine accused her father of 'political suicide' after he called the Holocaust ‘a detail of history’ and had also praised France’s wartime leader Marshal Petain . Mr Le Pen told the magazine: ‘If she accepts, I think she would head a very good list (of candidates). She is certainly the best, I am not going to say after me, but she is.’ His granddaughter is seen as more socially conservative than her aunt. Unlike Marine, Marion was firmly against a 2013 law permitting same-sex marriage in France. Asked if he felt betrayed by his daughter, Mr Le Pen told Le Figaro Magazine: ‘Betrayed would be going a bit far, but let’s say I’m disappointed.’ A top party official, Florian Philippot, said on i-Tele television that Le Pen had discussed the decision with party leadership. By standing down, Mr Le Pen avoids possible formal exclusion as a candidate on Friday, when the National Front’s political bureau meets to designate who will run in the December election. Opinion polls see Marine Le Pen as likely to make it to the second round of 2017 presidential elections but not win.
National Front founder Jean-Marie Le Pen pulls out of regional elections .
Criticized by daughter Marine over comments about the Holocaust .
Le Pen Snr wants grand-daughter Marion Marechal-Le Pen to replace him .