Jean-Pierre Bel
Jean-Pierre Bel | |
|---|---|
Bel in 2011 | |
| President of the French Senate | |
| In office 1 October 2011 – 30 September 2014 | |
| Preceded by | Gérard Larcher |
| Succeeded by | Gérard Larcher |
| Leader of the Opposition in the Senate | |
| In office 1 October 2004 – 30 September 2011 | |
| Preceded by | Claude Estier |
| Succeeded by | Jean-Claude Gaudin |
| Senator for Ariège | |
| In office 1 October 1998 – 30 September 2014 | |
| Preceded by | Germain Authié |
| Succeeded by | Alain Duran |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Jean-Pierre Marcel Louis Bel 30 December 1951 |
| Party | Revolutionary Communist League (1968–1978) Socialist Party (1983–present) |
| Alma mater | Toulouse 1 University Capitole |
| Profession | Jurist |
Jean-Pierre Marcel Louis Bel (French pronunciation: [ʒɑ̃pjɛʁ bɛl]; born 30 December 1951) is a French retired politician who served as President of the Senate from 2011 to 2014 (the sole left-winger under the Fifth Republic). From the Ariège department, Bel is a member of the Socialist Party; he was elected to the Senate in September 1998 and re-elected in September 2008. Bel presided over the Socialist group in the Senate from 2004 to 2011.
Following his Senate tenure, he was appointed in 2015 as President François Hollande's personal envoy for Latin America and the Caribbean.[1] He was instrumental in strengthening the ties with Cuba and Panama.[2][3][4]
Early political career
Bel served as a member of the Regional Council of Midi-Pyrénées (1992–1998) and General Council of Ariège (1998–2001), and held the mayorship of Mijanès (1983–1995) and Lavelanet (2001–2008).
President of the Senate
Following the September 2008 Senate election, Bel was the Socialist candidate for the post of President of the Senate on 1 October 2008, but because the right held a majority of seats in the Senate, he was defeated by Gérard Larcher. In the vote, he received 134 votes against 173 votes for Larcher.[5]
The left won a Senate majority in the September 2011 Senate election, and Bel was elected as President of the Senate on 1 October 2011. He received 179 votes against 134 votes for the right's candidate, outgoing Senate President Larcher; a centrist, Valérie Létard, received 29 votes.[6]
His tenure as Senate President was marked by cuts to the body's operating budget.[7] He retired at the September 2014 Senate election.[8]
Honours
- Knight of the Legion of Honour (2015)[9]
See also
References
- ^ Ivan Valerio (2015-01-14). "Jean-Pierre Bel nommé «envoyé personnel» de Hollande pour l'Amérique latine". Le Figaro (in French).
- ^ David Revault d'Allonnes (2015-05-12). "A Cuba, Hollande tente la synthèse entre castrisme et business". Le Monde (in French).
- ^ Gilles Sengès (2016-02-01). "Jean-Pierre Bel, l'ancien président du Sénat, qui connaît bien Raul (Castro)". L'Opinion (in French). Retrieved 2020-08-07.
- ^ "Panamá y Francia trabajarán en fortalecer confianza mutua - Panama en France - Embajada de Panamá en Francia - Ambassade du Panama en France". Panama en France - Embajada de Panamá en Francia - Ambassade du Panama en France (in Spanish). 2016-06-27. Retrieved 2020-08-07.
- ^ "Séance du 1er octobre 2008 (compte rendu intégral des débats)", Senate website (in French).
- ^ Fabio Benedetti-Valentini, "French Senate Elects Jean-Pierre Bel First Socialist President", Bloomberg, 2 October 2011.
- ^ "Les sénateurs décident de réduire leur train de vie". Le Point (in French). 2012-03-06.
- ^ "Sans regret, sans remords, pourquoi je ne serai plus candidat, par Jean-Pierre Bel". Le Monde (in French). 2014-03-05.
- ^ "Décret du 3 avril 2015 portant promotion et nomination". Légifrance (in French).