Le Pen to sue Madonna over swastika reference

Marine Le Pen is to sue Madonna after the pop queen used an image of the leader of France's far right National Front party with a swastika imposed on her face during a recent concert in Paris.

The image appeared on a video screen during the song Nobody Knows Me and was followed by one resembling Adolf Hitler. National Front vice-president Florian Philippot described the incident as 'an odious comparison'.

Le Pen is no stranger to World War II references, having suggested in 2010 that the blocking of public streets and squares throughout France for Muslim prayers was comparable with an occupation of parts of French territory by the Nazis.

The Far Right vote has enjoyed a significant rise in recent years, with Le Pen having polled 17.9 per cent of the overall vote in the 2012 general election.

At the heart of Le Pen's politics is a push for the reduction in immigration and the withdrawal of voting rights from 'foreign' citizens.

She is the daughter of Jean-Marie Le Pen, who led the party until 2011 and was famously supportive of the death penalty while being staunchly anti-abortion and vehemently opposed to same-sex marriage.