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In a political life made more and more antiseptic by media consultants, Jean-Marie le Pen stood out by his many provocations that continued during the electoral rooting of the Front National, from 1983-2002. Refusing to be limited by a purely psychological explanation, this paper attempts to understand the motivations of these provocations. They were first part of an authoritarian, extreme right political culture of protest. They thus unified a militant community. They reinforced the non-conformist image of the far right leader. They guaranteed the presence of the Front National in the media, thanks to the reactions they provoked. They enabled Jean-Marie Le Pen to solidify his relations with his constituency since they kept the Front National from moving towards the traditional right wing.