In an interview on French La Chaine Info TV, the National Front founder said the tension was caused by a small group of "extremists", who may have tried to rally around the party's delegate-general Bruno Mégret.

The "little group", he said, had wanted to demonstrate its opposition to his choice of Euro MP Jean-Claude Martinez to lead next year's European election campaign rather than Mr Mégret.

Politics by numbers

Mr Le Pen added that it was wrong to describe Mr Mégret as the party's number two. "I have never accepted a number two in the National Front, because if there were a number two there would have to be a number three, a number four, and people would spend their time trying to climb up through the hierarchy".

The long simmering row surfaced on Saturday when two leading National Front members were suspended and expelled from its National Council meeting.

Both were close allies of Bruno Mégret, who, until recently, was regarded as the natural heir to Mr Le Pen.

Leadership battle

Mr Le Pen was angered by claims by Mr Mégret that he should lead the Front's list at the elections if Mr Le Pen were legally barred from standing.

Although Mr Le Pen can now stand himself, he was enraged by what he saw as Mr Mégret's presumption and since then has been forming alliances within the party to isolate him and reducing his importance.

Mr Mégret - the architect of the strategy that has given the Front a foothold in the running of four regional councils - does have his backers within the movement, notably in the Paris area.