Marie-France Stirbois
Encyclopedia
Marie-France Stirbois was a French
National Front politician, representing Dreux from 1989 to 1993, and a Member of the European Parliament from 1994 to 1999 and from 2003 to 2004.
An old militant of the National Front, Marie-France Stirbois marked French political life by achieving (with her husband Jean-Pierre Stirbois
) the first electoral success of the French National Front in 1983 in Dreux
. Between 1989 and 1993, she was the only National Front member to sit on the National Assembly, after the Yann Piat camp had defected.
She is buried in Montparnasse Cemetery
in Paris.
with palms, having been imprisoned by the Germans
, and her two sisters were pillars of the resistance
until the end of the war. In the 1950s, the Charles family moved to Dreux
in Eure-et-Loir
.
The young Marie-France's first political commitment was during the Algerian War; she opposed independence for Algeria. In 1964 she was active in the Jean-Louis Tixier-Vignancour
campaign, an extreme right candidate in the French presidential election, 1965
. It was at this time that she met her future husband, Jean-Pierre Stirbois
. She moved closer to the Occident movement
.
During the events of May 1968, she was a student at Nanterre
, where, in the French National Federation of Students
, she spoke out against the strikers.
As a qualified English teacher, she married the next year and taught English for seven years at Colombes
. She then stopped working to raise her two children.
Unlike her husband, Marie-France made her debut in the 1978 legislative elections in Paris. Her first electoral success was in the cantonales of 1982, with 10% of the vote, and then she stood for Nanterre
in hauts de Seine in 1985. Her first national bid for Dreux was in 1986, while three years earlier, her husband became National Front Deputy Mayor thanks to an electoral alliance.
In March 1992 she was elected conseillère générale ( "General Counsel") and then in June 1994, Member of the European Parliament and regional advisor. She remained in the European Parliament until 1999.
After several failed attempts to become Mayor of Dreux, she moved to Nice, where she was elected City Councillor in 2001.
In 2003, she took Jean-Marie Le Pen
's seat after his revocation of mandate as a MEP. In 2004 she was elected Regional Councillor of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, and she died in 2006.
French people
The French are a nation that share a common French culture and speak the French language as a mother tongue. Historically, the French population are descended from peoples of Celtic, Latin and Germanic origin, and are today a mixture of several ethnic groups...
National Front politician, representing Dreux from 1989 to 1993, and a Member of the European Parliament from 1994 to 1999 and from 2003 to 2004.
An old militant of the National Front, Marie-France Stirbois marked French political life by achieving (with her husband Jean-Pierre Stirbois
Jean-Pierre Stirbois
Jean-Pierre Stirbois was a French far-right politician, husband of Marie-France Stirbois. He has been associated with the first electoral breakthrough of the National Front, in Dreux in 1983....
) the first electoral success of the French National Front in 1983 in Dreux
Dreux
Dreux is a commune in the Eure-et-Loir department in northern France.-History:Dreux was known in ancient times as Durocassium, the capital of the Durocasses Celtic tribe. Despite the legend, its name was not related with Druids. The Romans established here a fortified camp known as Castrum...
. Between 1989 and 1993, she was the only National Front member to sit on the National Assembly, after the Yann Piat camp had defected.
She is buried in Montparnasse Cemetery
Montparnasse Cemetery
Montparnasse Cemetery is a cemetery in the Montparnasse quarter of Paris, part of the city's 14th arrondissement.-History:Created from three farms in 1824, the cemetery at Montparnasse was originally known as Le Cimetière du Sud. Cemeteries had been banned from Paris since the closure, owing to...
in Paris.
Early years
Youngest of four daughters in the Charles family, Marie-France's father was manager of a refrigeration warehouse and canning factory. Her mother was a housewife. Both were ardent Gaullists until 1962. Her mother received the Croix de GuerreCroix de guerre
The Croix de guerre is a military decoration of France. It was first created in 1915 and consists of a square-cross medal on two crossed swords, hanging from a ribbon with various degree pins. The decoration was awarded during World War I, again in World War II, and in other conflicts...
with palms, having been imprisoned by the Germans
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
, and her two sisters were pillars of the resistance
French Resistance
The French Resistance is the name used to denote the collection of French resistance movements that fought against the Nazi German occupation of France and against the collaborationist Vichy régime during World War II...
until the end of the war. In the 1950s, the Charles family moved to Dreux
Dreux
Dreux is a commune in the Eure-et-Loir department in northern France.-History:Dreux was known in ancient times as Durocassium, the capital of the Durocasses Celtic tribe. Despite the legend, its name was not related with Druids. The Romans established here a fortified camp known as Castrum...
in Eure-et-Loir
Eure-et-Loir
Eure-et-Loir is a French department, named after the Eure and Loir rivers.-History:Eure-et-Loir is one of the original 83 departments created during the French Revolution on March 4, 1790 pursuant to the Act of December 22, 1789...
.
The young Marie-France's first political commitment was during the Algerian War; she opposed independence for Algeria. In 1964 she was active in the Jean-Louis Tixier-Vignancour
Jean-Louis Tixier-Vignancour
Jean-Louis Tixier-Vignancour was a lawyer and French nationalist politician. He was a candidate in the 1965 French presidential election when his campaign manager was Jean-Marie Le Pen. He won 1,260,208 votes, which was 5.2% of the total, giving him fourth place after De Gaulle, Mitterrand and...
campaign, an extreme right candidate in the French presidential election, 1965
French presidential election, 1965
The 1965 French presidential election was the first presidential election by direct universal suffrage of the Fifth Republic. It was also the first presidential election by direct universal suffrage since the Second Republic in 1848. It was won by incumbent president Charles de Gaulle who resigned...
. It was at this time that she met her future husband, Jean-Pierre Stirbois
Jean-Pierre Stirbois
Jean-Pierre Stirbois was a French far-right politician, husband of Marie-France Stirbois. He has been associated with the first electoral breakthrough of the National Front, in Dreux in 1983....
. She moved closer to the Occident movement
Occident (movement)
Occident was a French far-right militant political group, often described as fascist-leaning. A number of members of Occident later were prominent members of right-wing parties, and even obtained ministerial positions. The movement never had more than 550 members.- History :Founded by Pierre Sidos...
.
During the events of May 1968, she was a student at Nanterre
Nanterre
Nanterre is a commune in the western suburbs of Paris, France. It is located west of the center of Paris.Nanterre is the capital of the Hauts-de-Seine department as well as the seat of the Arrondissement of Nanterre....
, where, in the French National Federation of Students
Union nationale des étudiants de france
The National Union of Students of France is the main national students' union in France....
, she spoke out against the strikers.
As a qualified English teacher, she married the next year and taught English for seven years at Colombes
Colombes
Colombes is a commune in the northwestern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the center of Paris.-History:On 13 March 1896, 17% of the territory of Colombes was detached and became the commune of Bois-Colombes ....
. She then stopped working to raise her two children.
A political couple
Like her husband, she argued in the first "Solidarity" movement of the extreme right for the Mouvement jeune révolution ( "Young Revolutionary Movement"), which rejected totalitarian Marxism and international capitalism. When the Stirbois couple joined the National Front in 1977, five years after its establishment, each embraced militant political activism. She became co-director of the printing press that her husband created to support their political activities in Dreux.Unlike her husband, Marie-France made her debut in the 1978 legislative elections in Paris. Her first electoral success was in the cantonales of 1982, with 10% of the vote, and then she stood for Nanterre
Nanterre
Nanterre is a commune in the western suburbs of Paris, France. It is located west of the center of Paris.Nanterre is the capital of the Hauts-de-Seine department as well as the seat of the Arrondissement of Nanterre....
in hauts de Seine in 1985. Her first national bid for Dreux was in 1986, while three years earlier, her husband became National Front Deputy Mayor thanks to an electoral alliance.
The success of "Widow Stirbois"
Jean-Pierre died in a road accident in autumn 1988. Marie-France focused on local politics and represented the National Front in Dreux, first as a city councillor, then at elections in March 1989. She became a member at Eure-et-Loir in December that year after an election with 60% voter turnout, losing the mandate in March 1993. For four years she was the only National Front representative in the National Assembly.In March 1992 she was elected conseillère générale ( "General Counsel") and then in June 1994, Member of the European Parliament and regional advisor. She remained in the European Parliament until 1999.
After several failed attempts to become Mayor of Dreux, she moved to Nice, where she was elected City Councillor in 2001.
In 2003, she took Jean-Marie Le Pen
Jean-Marie Le Pen
Jean-Marie Le Pen is a French far right-wing and nationalist politician who is founder and former president of the Front National party. Le Pen has run for the French presidency five times, most notably in 2002, when in a surprise upset he came second, polling more votes in the first round than...
's seat after his revocation of mandate as a MEP. In 2004 she was elected Regional Councillor of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, and she died in 2006.
Dissent in the National Front
Marie-France was twice sanctioned by National Front institutions and suspended from her duties in the party's political bureau.Political career
- Presidential Campaign 1965
- 1966 - 1977 Active participation in solidarity
- Member of the French National Front from 1977 to her death.
- National Delegate to the National Front from 1999 to her death.
- Member of the Political Bureau of the National Front from 1990 to her death (she was temporarily suspended in October 2005).
- General Counsel of Eure-et-Loir from 1994 to 2001.
- Regional Advisor of the Centre (translator's note: meaning "Central geographic region", not "Centre" on the left wing-right wing axis) from 1986 to 2004.
- Member of Eure-et-Loir from 1989 to 1993.
- MEP 1994 to 1999 and 2003 to 2004.
- City Council of Dreux 1989 to 2001.
- Nice City Council from 2001 to her death.
- Regional Councilor, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur from 2004 to her death.