Le Pen in waiting.

(From Guardian Unlimited)

Her nickname is "the clone" and she is fiercely proud of her physical and political likeness to her father, Jean-Marie Le Pen, the founder and leader of France's extreme right Front National.

But Marine Le Pen, the party vice-president and MEP, who once described herself as identical to her father, "but with more hair", is beginning a media offensive this week to introduce her new makeover.

Her blonde hair has been neatly styled and she is 11kg (24lb) lighter, challenging the journalists who liked to describe her as "well-built". She will also unveil her lengthy autobiography today as part of a careful political strategy to appeal to women voters on the far right.

The 37-year-old, divorced and remarried mother of three sees herself as successor …