Henri Emmanuelli
Henri Emmanuelli (born on 31 May 1945) is a French politician. A member of the Socialist Party (Parti socialiste or PS), he has been deputy for Landes from 1978 to 1981, from 1986 to 1997 and since 2000.
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[edit] Biography
Emmanuelli was born in Eaux-Bonnes in the French department of Pyrénées-Atlantiques. He grew up with a working-class background and lost his father at a very young age. He studied at Sciences Po Paris University and he joined the Financial Company of Edmond James de Rothschild. In 1971 he was appointed to the management of this company, becoming a senior banking executive and a co-director in 1975. He continued his professional career at the Rothschild’s bank until he was elected to the National Assembly aged 32 in 1978.
He joined the Socialist Party in 1971.
On the request of François Mitterrand he was, at the age of 27, a candidate in the legislative elections of March 1973 in the second circonscription of Lot-et-Garonne. But it was on the 19th of March 1978 that he was elected for the first time as the deputy for the third electoral district of Landes, which moved the district to the left-wing.
In 1982 he was elected for the first time as the President of the General Council of Landes.
Between 1981 and 1986 he served in the governments of Pierre Mauroy and Laurent Fabius as the Secretary of State charged with the DOM-TOM territories of France between 1981 and 1983, as Secretary of State for Budget between 1983 and 1986, and Secretary of State for Consumption between 1984 and 1986.
Between 1992 and 1993 he was chairman of the National Assembly He was elected as the First Secretary of the Socialist Party on the 19th of June 1994 and held this office until October 1995. His election to this position was seen as revenge for the Mitterrandist wing of the Socialist Party against Michel Rocard, the incumbent First Secretary, who had been weakened by the party's poor result in the 1994 European Parliament election. However, he was defeated by Lionel Jospin in the race to represent the Socialists in the 1995 presidential election.[1] Jospin also took on the role of First Secretary of the Party at this time. One year later, Emmanuelli was convicted for the illicit financing of the PS when he was its treasurer. He re-entered politics in 2000.
Whilst he was a faithful supporter of François Mitterrand until the latter's death, he is identified as belonging to the left-wing of the PS, and was one of the leaders of the party's "New World" faction formed in 2002 which aimed to steer the party leftwards after Jospin's poor performance in that year's presidential election.[2] In the campaigns for the Referendum on the European Constitution in 2005 and the Treaty of Rome of 2004 he publicly declared himself in favour of the no campaign which put him in direct opposition to the official line of the Socialist Party which was in favour of the treaty. He believed that the treaty was a move away from the idea of a Federal Europe, which he endorsed, notably in his “Plea for Europe”.[3] [4] He is followed by his close supporters, one of which is Michel Vergnier, the deputy for la Creuse. In 2000 he took part in the Congress of Grenoble of the Socialist Party and was an avid campaigner for a Socialist Party which was clearly aligned to the left. For the Congress of Mans in November 2005 he associated himself with the New Socialist Party motion of Arnaud Montebourg, Vincent Peillon et Benoît Hamon.
He lives in his electoral district, in the canton of Murgon.
[edit] Integrity and legal convictions
- On the 14th of September 1992 he was investigated regarding his role as the Socialist Party’s treasurer in the Urba Affair, concerning illicit funding of the Socialist Party. He was convicted of playing a part in influence peddling and on the 16th of December 1997 he was given a suspended sentence of 18 months and was banned from public service for two years.
- He was also investigated on the 15th of October 1998 over the Destrade affair which once again dealt with illegal funding to the Socialist Party, however he was released without charge, as the judge dismissed his case.
[edit] Political career
Governmental functions
Secretary of State for Overseas Territories : 1981-1983.
Secretary of State for Budget and consommation : 1983-1986.
Electoral mandates
National Assembly of France
President of the National Assembly of France : 1992-1993.
Member of the National Assembly of France for Landes (department) (3rd constituency) : 1978-1981 (Became secretary of State in 1981) / 1986-1997 (Sentenced to prison in 1997) / And since 2000. Elected in 1978, reelected in 1981, 1986, 1988, 1993, 1997, 2000, 2002, 2007.
Regional Council
Regional councillor of Aquitaine : 1986-1988 (Resignation).
General Council
President of the General Council of Landes (department) : 1982-1997 (Sentenced to prison in 1997) / Since 2001. Reelected in 1985, 1988, 1992, 1994, 2001, 2004, 2008.
General councillor of Landes (department) : 1982-1997 (Sentenced to prison in 1997) / Since 2001. Reelected in 1988, 1994, 2001, 2008.
Political function
First Secretary (leader) of the Socialist Party (France) : 1994-1995. Elected in 1994.
[edit] Publications
- Plaidoyer pour l’Europe, Éditions Flammarion, juillet 1992. (A Plea for Europe)
- Citadelles interdites, ed. Ramsay, 2000 (roman). (Forbidden Citadels)
[edit] References
- ^ Thomas Sancton Time Magazine February 20, 1995
- ^ Bruce Crumley Time Magazine September 8, 2002
- ^ John Henley The Guardian May 30, 2005
- ^ John Nichols The Nation 31 May 2005
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Laurent Fabius |
President of the National Assembly 1992–1993 |
Succeeded by Philippe Séguin |
| Party political offices | ||
| Preceded by Michel Rocard |
First Secretary of the Socialist Party 1994–1995 |
Succeeded by Lionel Jospin |
