Paris, March 12 (RHC)-- France's far-right leader Marine Le Pen has proposed changing the name of her party to the 'National Union': the same as a party that collaborated with the German Nazi government during the Second World War.

The newly re-elected 49-year-old announced the potential image change at a conference in northeast France, saying the party needed to drop its historic name the National Front (FN) used since 1972.

Le Pen won a historic 10 million votes when she lost to President Emmanuel Macron in last May's national elections, but her score of 34 percent was lower than expected. Since then, she has struggled to secure authority in the party.

Macron's tough immigration policy, which he has promised will lead to more deportations and stricter vetting of newcomers to France, also risks taking the sting out of an issue which has driven support for the far right for 40 years.

Le Pen was re-elected for a third term as party chief on Sunday morning after standing unopposed for the position.