Christian Poncelet
Encyclopedia
Christian Poncelet is a conservative French
politician. A member of President Nicolas Sarkozy's
Union for a Popular Movement
(UMP), he was President of the Senate
from 1998 to 2008. In addition to being a Senator, he was Mayor of Remiremont
(Vosges
) and has been the President of the General Council of Vosges.
) in the Ardennes
. He was elected to the National Assembly in the November 1962 parliamentary election
from the Third Constituency of Vosges and was re-elected from the same constituency in the March 1967 parliamentary election
and the June 1968 parliamentary election
. He served as a deputy until August 1972, when he left his seat following his nomination as a member of the government. He was first elected to the Senate in September 1977, and he was re-elected in September 1986, September 1995, and September 2004, representing Vosges.
On 2 October 1998, Poncelet was elected by the Senate as its President
in a third round of voting. The previous President of the Senate, Rene Monory
, had withdrawn after the first round of voting. In the third round, Poncelet received 189 votes against 93 for Socialist candidate Claude Estier and one vote for the withdrawn Communist candidate Hélène Luc.
In 2000, Poncelet was awarde the Grand Cross of the Royal Norwegian Order of Merit.
Following the September 2008 Senate election
, it was announced on September 24 that Poncelet would not seek another term as President of the Senate, although he would continue to serve as a Senator. He was succeeded by Gérard Larcher
, also from the UMP, on October 1.
Secretary of State for Social Affairs: 1972-1973
Secretary of State for Employment and Population : 1973-1974
Secretary of State for Public Service : March-May 1974
Secretary of State for Budget : May 1974-1977
Secretary of State for Relations with Parliament : April-September 1977 (Became senator in 1977).
Electoral mandates
European Parliament
Member of the European Parliament
: 1979-1980 (resignation). Elected in 1979.
National Assembly
Member of the National Assembly of France for Vosges
: 1962-1972 (Became Secretary of State in 1972). Elected in 1962, reelected in 1967, 1968, 1973, but he stays Secretary of State.
Senate
President of the Senate of France : 1998-2008. Elected in 1998, reelected in 2001, 2004.
Président of the Finance Commission of the Senate : 1986-1998.
Senator of Vosges
: Since 1977. Elected in 1977, reelected in 1986, 1995, 2004.
Regional Council
Regional councillor of Lorraine
: 1977-1992. Elected in 1986.
General Council
President of the General Council of Vosges
: Since 1976. Reelected in 1979, 1982, 1985, 1988, 1992, 1994, 1998, 2001, 2004, 2008, 2011.
General councillor of Vosges
: Since 1964. Reelected in 1970, 1976, 1982, 1988, 1994, 2001, 2008.
Municipal Council
Mayor of Remiremont
: 1983-2001. Reelected in 1989, 1995.
Deputy-mayor of Remiremont
: 1971-1983. Reelected in 1977.
Municipal councillor of Remiremont
: 1965-2001. Reelected in 1971, 1977, 1983, 1989, 1995.
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
politician. A member of President Nicolas Sarkozy's
Nicolas Sarkozy
Nicolas Sarkozy is the 23rd and current President of the French Republic and ex officio Co-Prince of Andorra. He assumed the office on 16 May 2007 after defeating the Socialist Party candidate Ségolène Royal 10 days earlier....
Union for a Popular Movement
Union for a Popular Movement
The Union for a Popular Movement is a centre-right political party in France, and one of the two major contemporary political parties in the country along with the center-left Socialist Party...
(UMP), he was President of the Senate
French Senate
The Senate is the upper house of the Parliament of France, presided over by a president.The Senate enjoys less prominence than the lower house, the directly elected National Assembly; debates in the Senate tend to be less tense and generally enjoy less media coverage.-History:France's first...
from 1998 to 2008. In addition to being a Senator, he was Mayor of Remiremont
Remiremont
Remiremont is a commune in the Vosges department in Lorraine in northeastern France.Inhabitants are called Romarimontains.-Geography:Remiremont is located on the Moselle, close to its confluence with the Moselotte, southeast of Épinal...
(Vosges
Vosges
Vosges is a French department, named after the local mountain range. It contains the hometown of Joan of Arc, Domrémy.-History:The Vosges department is one of the original 83 departments of France, created on February 9, 1790 during the French Revolution. It was made of territories that had been...
) and has been the President of the General Council of Vosges.
Biography
Poncelet was born in Blaise (now part of VouziersVouziers
Vouziers is a commune of the Ardennes department in northern France.Vouziers is the burial place of the pioneer First World War fighter pilot Roland Garros, from whom the tennis location is named....
) in the Ardennes
Ardennes
The Ardennes is a region of extensive forests, rolling hills and ridges formed within the Givetian Ardennes mountain range, primarily in Belgium and Luxembourg, but stretching into France , and geologically into the Eifel...
. He was elected to the National Assembly in the November 1962 parliamentary election
French legislative election, 1962
- National Assembly by Parliamentary Group:...
from the Third Constituency of Vosges and was re-elected from the same constituency in the March 1967 parliamentary election
French legislative election, 1967
French legislative elections took place on 5 and 12 March 1967 to elect the 3rd National Assembly of the Fifth Republic.In December 1965, Charles de Gaulle was re-elected President of France in the first Presidential election by universal suffrage. However, contrary to predictions, there had been a...
and the June 1968 parliamentary election
French legislative election, 1968
- National Assembly by Parliamentary Group:...
. He served as a deputy until August 1972, when he left his seat following his nomination as a member of the government. He was first elected to the Senate in September 1977, and he was re-elected in September 1986, September 1995, and September 2004, representing Vosges.
On 2 October 1998, Poncelet was elected by the Senate as its President
President of the Senate
The President of the Senate is a title often given to the presiding officer of a senate, and is the speaker of other assemblies.The senate president often ranks high in a jurisdiction's succession for its top executive office: for example, the President of the Senate of Nigeria is second in line...
in a third round of voting. The previous President of the Senate, Rene Monory
René Monory
René Monory was a French centre-right politician.-Biography:René Monory was born in Loudun and began his career as the owner of a garage. He was the founder of the Poitiers Futuroscope.Monory first became a Senator in 1968...
, had withdrawn after the first round of voting. In the third round, Poncelet received 189 votes against 93 for Socialist candidate Claude Estier and one vote for the withdrawn Communist candidate Hélène Luc.
In 2000, Poncelet was awarde the Grand Cross of the Royal Norwegian Order of Merit.
Following the September 2008 Senate election
French Senate election, 2008
Indirect Senate elections were held for 114 of the 343 seats in the French Senate on 21 September 2008. With this election, the number of senators was increased from 331 to 343; Saint Barthélemy and Saint Martin elected two senators each for the first time...
, it was announced on September 24 that Poncelet would not seek another term as President of the Senate, although he would continue to serve as a Senator. He was succeeded by Gérard Larcher
Gérard Larcher
Gérard Larcher is a French politician who was President of the Senate of France from 2008 to 2011. A member of the center-right Union for a Popular Movement, he was a Senator for the Yvelines département from 1986 to 2004 and has been again since 2007.Larcher was born in Flers, Orne to a Catholic...
, also from the UMP, on October 1.
Political career
Governmental functionsSecretary of State for Social Affairs: 1972-1973
Secretary of State for Employment and Population : 1973-1974
Secretary of State for Public Service : March-May 1974
Secretary of State for Budget : May 1974-1977
Secretary of State for Relations with Parliament : April-September 1977 (Became senator in 1977).
Electoral mandates
European Parliament
Member of the European Parliament
European Parliament
The European Parliament is the directly elected parliamentary institution of the European Union . Together with the Council of the European Union and the Commission, it exercises the legislative function of the EU and it has been described as one of the most powerful legislatures in the world...
: 1979-1980 (resignation). Elected in 1979.
National Assembly
Member of the National Assembly of France for Vosges
Vosges
Vosges is a French department, named after the local mountain range. It contains the hometown of Joan of Arc, Domrémy.-History:The Vosges department is one of the original 83 departments of France, created on February 9, 1790 during the French Revolution. It was made of territories that had been...
: 1962-1972 (Became Secretary of State in 1972). Elected in 1962, reelected in 1967, 1968, 1973, but he stays Secretary of State.
Senate
President of the Senate of France : 1998-2008. Elected in 1998, reelected in 2001, 2004.
Président of the Finance Commission of the Senate : 1986-1998.
Senator of Vosges
Vosges
Vosges is a French department, named after the local mountain range. It contains the hometown of Joan of Arc, Domrémy.-History:The Vosges department is one of the original 83 departments of France, created on February 9, 1790 during the French Revolution. It was made of territories that had been...
: Since 1977. Elected in 1977, reelected in 1986, 1995, 2004.
Regional Council
Regional councillor of Lorraine
Lorraine (région)
Lorraine is one of the 27 régions of France. The administrative region has two cities of equal importance, Metz and Nancy. Metz is considered to be the official capital since that is where the regional parliament is situated...
: 1977-1992. Elected in 1986.
General Council
President of the General Council of Vosges
Vosges
Vosges is a French department, named after the local mountain range. It contains the hometown of Joan of Arc, Domrémy.-History:The Vosges department is one of the original 83 departments of France, created on February 9, 1790 during the French Revolution. It was made of territories that had been...
: Since 1976. Reelected in 1979, 1982, 1985, 1988, 1992, 1994, 1998, 2001, 2004, 2008, 2011.
General councillor of Vosges
Vosges
Vosges is a French department, named after the local mountain range. It contains the hometown of Joan of Arc, Domrémy.-History:The Vosges department is one of the original 83 departments of France, created on February 9, 1790 during the French Revolution. It was made of territories that had been...
: Since 1964. Reelected in 1970, 1976, 1982, 1988, 1994, 2001, 2008.
Municipal Council
Mayor of Remiremont
Remiremont
Remiremont is a commune in the Vosges department in Lorraine in northeastern France.Inhabitants are called Romarimontains.-Geography:Remiremont is located on the Moselle, close to its confluence with the Moselotte, southeast of Épinal...
: 1983-2001. Reelected in 1989, 1995.
Deputy-mayor of Remiremont
Remiremont
Remiremont is a commune in the Vosges department in Lorraine in northeastern France.Inhabitants are called Romarimontains.-Geography:Remiremont is located on the Moselle, close to its confluence with the Moselotte, southeast of Épinal...
: 1971-1983. Reelected in 1977.
Municipal councillor of Remiremont
Remiremont
Remiremont is a commune in the Vosges department in Lorraine in northeastern France.Inhabitants are called Romarimontains.-Geography:Remiremont is located on the Moselle, close to its confluence with the Moselotte, southeast of Épinal...
: 1965-2001. Reelected in 1971, 1977, 1983, 1989, 1995.