May 6 (Bloomberg) -- The European Parliament denied Jean- Marie Le Pen the right to chair the opening session of the assembly’s new term in July after he repeated that Nazi gas chambers were “a detail” of World War II history.

The European Union legislature changed its rules to ensure that the 80-year-old Le Pen, founder of France’s anti- immigration National Front party, would be ineligible for the honorary position should he be re-elected to the 27-nation Parliament next month.

The ceremonial task, traditionally carried out by the oldest member for a matter of minutes or hours while the institution chooses a new president, will now go to the outgoing president, an outgoing vice-president or a lawmaker who has held office for the longest period.

The 785-seat Parliament’s vote today in Strasbourg, France, follows a March 25 statement by Le Pen on the assembly floor that “I only said that the gas chambers were a detail of the history of the World War, which is obvious.” The Parliament elections are June 4-7.

To contact the reporter on this story: Jonathan Stearns in Strasbourg, France at jstearns2@bloomberg.net

Last Updated: May 6, 2009 10:47 EDT