Christian Poncelet (24 March 192811 September 2020) was a conservative French politician. A member of President Nicolas Sarkozy's

Union for a Popular Movement The Union for a Popular Movement (french: link=no, Union pour un mouvement populaire, ; UMP, ) was a centre-right political party in France that was one of the two major contemporary political parties in France along with the centre-left Social ...

(UMP),CV at Senate website
. he was

President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) *President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ful ...

of the

Senate A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior (Latin: ''senex'' meaning "the el ...

from 1998 to 2008. In addition to being a Senator, he was Mayor of

Remiremont Remiremont (; german: Romberg or ) is a town and commune in the Vosges department, northeastern France, situated in southern Grand Est. The town has been an abbatial centre since the 7th century, is an economic crossroads of the Moselle and Mos ...

(

Vosges The Vosges ( , ; german: Vogesen ; Franconian and gsw, Vogese) are a range of low mountains in Eastern France, near its border with Germany. Together with the Palatine Forest to the north on the German side of the border, they form a single ...

) and has been the President of the

General Council General council may refer to: In education: * General Council (Scottish university), an advisory body to each of the ancient universities of Scotland * General Council of the University of St Andrews, the corporate body of all graduates and senio ...

of Vosges.

Political career

He was elected to the

National Assembly In politics, a national assembly is either a unicameral legislature, the lower house of a bicameral legislature, or both houses of a bicameral legislature together. In the English language it generally means "an assembly composed of the rep ...

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

in a third round of voting. The previous President of the Senate,

René Monory René Monory (6 June 1923 – 11 April 2009) was a French centre-right Gaullist 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 firs ...

, 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 awarded the Grand Cross of the

Royal Norwegian Order of Merit The Royal Norwegian Order of Merit (Norwegian: ''Den Kongelige Norske Fortjenstorden'' (Bokmål) or ''Den Kongelege Norske Fortenesteordenen'' (Nynorsk)) was instituted by King Olav V in 1985. It is awarded to foreigners, Norwegian citizens livin ...

. Following the September 2008 Senate election, it was announced on 24 September 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 Philippe René André Larcher (born 14 September 1949) is a French politician serving as President of the Senate since 2014, previously holding the office from 2008 to 2011. A member of The Republicans, he has been a Senator for the Yveli ...

, also from the UMP, on 1 October.

Personal life

Poncelet was born in Blaise (now part of

Vouziers Vouziers () is a commune of the Ardennes department, northern France. Vouziers is the burial place of the pioneer First World War fighter pilot Roland Garros, after whom the Stade Roland Garros in Paris (the location of the French Open ten ...

) in the Ardennes. Poncelet died in

, on 11 September 2020, at the age of 92.Christian Poncelet, ancien président du Sénat et maire de Remiremont est mort à 92 ans

Political career

Governmental functions * 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 Parliamentary Relations : April–September 1977 (Became senator in 1977) Electoral mandates ''European Parliament'' * Member of the

European Parliament The European Parliament (EP) is one of the legislative bodies of the European Union and one of its seven institutions. Together with the Council of the European Union (known as the Council and informally as the Council of Ministers), it adopts ...

: 1979–1980 (resignation). Elected in 1979. ''National Assembly'' * Member of the National Assembly of France for

: 1962–1972 (Became Secretary of State in 1972). Elected in 1962, re-elected in 1967, 1968, 1973, but he stayed Secretary of State. ''Senate'' * President of the

Senate of France The Senate (french: Sénat, ) is the upper house of the French Parliament, with the lower house being the National Assembly, the two houses constituting the legislature of France. The French Senate is made up of 348 senators (''sénateurs'' a ...

: 1998–2008. Elected in 1998, re-elected in 2001, 2004. * Président of the Finance Commission of the Senate : 1986–1998. * Senator of

: Since 1977. Elected in 1977, re-elected in 1986, 1995, 2004. ''Regional Council'' * Regional councillor of

Lorraine Lorraine , also , , ; Lorrain: ''Louréne''; Lorraine Franconian: ''Lottringe''; german: Lothringen ; lb, Loutrengen; nl, Lotharingen is a cultural and historical region in Northeastern France, now located in the administrative region of Gr ...

: 1977–1992. Elected in 1986? ''General Council'' * President of the General Council of

: Since 1976. Re-elected in 1979, 1982, 1985, 1988, 1992, 1994, 1998, 2001, 2004, 2008, 2011. * General councillor of

: Since 1964. Re-elected in 1970, 1976, 1982, 1988, 1994, 2001, 2008. ''Municipal Council'' * Mayor of

: 1983-2001. Re-elected in 1989, 1995. * Deputy Mayor of

: 1971-1983. Re-elected in 1977. * Municipal councillor of

: 1965–2001. Re-elected in 1971, 1977, 1983, 1989, 1995.

References

, - , - {{DEFAULTSORT:Poncelet, Christian 1928 births 2020 deaths People from Vouziers Politicians from Grand Est Democratic Union of Labour politicians Union for the New Republic politicians Union of Democrats for the Republic politicians Rally for the Republic politicians Union for a Popular Movement politicians French Ministers of Budget Deputies of the 2nd National Assembly of the French Fifth Republic Deputies of the 3rd National Assembly of the French Fifth Republic Deputies of the 4th National Assembly of the French Fifth Republic Deputies of the 5th National Assembly of the French Fifth Republic French Senators of the Fifth Republic Senators of Vosges (department) Presidents of the Senate (France) French Confederation of Christian Workers members Members of the Académie des sciences morales et politiques Grand Crosses of the Order of the Star of Romania