French National Front President Jean-Marie Le Pen repeated on Sunday that the congress held by the party's breakaway faction was unconstitutional.

Interview with Jean-Marie Le Pen on France-2 TV

He said it was "not the National Front, because we are in a country ruled by law, a democratic country and the first condition of democracy is honouring the law and honouring the rules".

"That meeting has been held without any regard for the rules."

Asked if he still considered himself president of the Front after the breakaway meeting on Sunday elected him honorary president, Le Pen said: "I would rather be honorary president than dishonourable president, but I leave this poisoned chalice with Mr Megret and his friends."

He said: "I do not need their consideration ... I need their fidelity, their loyalty and their honesty, which they did not give me in spite of the honours which they have received over the course of many years."

Asked if he would accept a gesture of reconciliation from the dissident faction leader Bruno Megret, Mr Le Pen replied: "No, that is just not serious. One can have reconciliation when one has someone's respect. In this case neither I, nor the National Front, have any respect. I am the president, elected unanimously for three years, who has behind him all of the groups which make up the National Front framework."

Confident of support

Mr Le Pen said the National Front did not stand to gain in the European elections from having its share of the vote divided.

"I believe that I shall do better than the rating the polls have given me so far, I believe that Mr Megret will probably collect around 1% or 2%.

"Within the next four months many things can happen, many events, many dramatic situations can crop up and so, in this event, I believe that we can reach the figure which I had set, at 20% , for a National Front which represents - obviously the one of which I am president - which represents 90% or 95% of the strength of the National Front."