Paul Coste-Floret (9 April 1911 – 27 August 1979) was a French politician. He was born and died in
Montpellier
Montpellier (, , ; oc, Montpelhièr ) is a city in southern France near the Mediterranean Sea. One of the largest urban centres in the region of Occitania (administrative region), Occitania, Montpellier is the prefecture of the Departments of ...
, France.
Career
Coste-Floret was originally an academic, becoming
Doctor of Law
A Doctor of Law is a degree in law. The application of the term varies from country to country and includes degrees such as the Doctor of Juridical Science (J.S.D. or S.J.D), Juris Doctor (J.D.), Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), and Legum Doctor (LL ...
in 1935 and teaching law at the
University of Algiers
The University of Algiers (Arabic language, Arabic:جامعة الجزائر – بن يوسف بن خـدة ), commonly called the Algiers 1 University, is a public university, public research university located in Algiers, Algeria. It is the ...
.
During the
Second World War
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
, Coste-Floret was active in the
French Resistance
The French Resistance (french: La Résistance) was a collection of organisations that fought the German occupation of France during World War II, Nazi occupation of France and the Collaborationism, collaborationist Vichy France, Vichy régim ...
. He also advised
André Philip
André Philip (28 June 1902 – 5 July 1970) was a SFIO member who served in 1942 as Interior Minister under the Free French provisional government of General Charles de Gaulle. He also served as a finance minister in 1946 and part of 1947 in the ...
and
François de Menthon
Count François de Menthon (8 January 1900 – 2 June 1984) was a French politician and professor of law.
Early and private life
Menthon was born in Montmirey-la-Ville in Jura (department), Jura. He was a son of an old noble family from Menthon- ...
, ministers in the
Free French
Free France (french: France Libre) was a political entity that claimed to be the legitimate government of France following the dissolution of the Third Republic. Led by French general , Free France was established as a government-in-exile ...
provisional government. After the war Coste-Floret was an assistant prosecutor at the
Nuremberg trials
The Nuremberg trials were held by the Allies of World War II, Allies against representatives of the defeated Nazi Germany, for plotting and carrying out invasions of other countries, and other crimes, in World War II.
Between 1939 and 1945 ...
.
He was elected as a ''
député
The chamber of deputies is the lower house in many bicameral legislatures and the sole house in some unicameral legislatures.
Description
Historically, French Chamber of Deputies was the lower house of the French Parliament during the Bourbon Re ...
'' to the
Assemblée Nationale
The National Assembly (french: link=no, italics=set, Assemblée nationale; ) is the lower house of the bicameral French Parliament under the Fifth Republic, the upper house being the Senate (). The National Assembly's legislators are known a ...
in 1946 as a member of the ''
Mouvement Républicain Populaire
The Popular Republican Movement (french: Mouvement Républicain Populaire, MRP) was a Christian-democratic political party in France during the Fourth Republic. Its base was the Catholic vote and its leaders included Georges Bidault, Robert S ...
'', for the
department
Department may refer to:
* Departmentalization, division of a larger organization into parts with specific responsibility
Government and military
*Department (administrative division), a geographical and administrative division within a country, ...
of
Hérault
Hérault (; oc, Erau, ) is a department of the region of Occitania, Southern France. Named after the Hérault River, its prefecture is Montpellier. It had a population of 1,175,623 in 2019.
Coste-Floret supported the political return of
General de Gaulle
Charles André Joseph Marie de Gaulle (; ; (commonly abbreviated as CDG) 22 November 18909 November 1970) was a French army officer and statesman who led Free France against Nazi Germany in World War II and chaired the Provisional Government ...
and was a member of the Constitutional Consultative Committee which prepared the Constitution of 1958. He was re-eelected ''député'' of the MRP in 1958, and served with the centrist group until 1967. He was nominated by the president of the Senate,
Alain Poher
Alain Émile Louis Marie Poher (; 17 April 1909 – 9 December 1996) was a French politician who briefly served as President of France twice, in 1969 and 1974. He held the office ''ad interim'' as President of the Senate following the resignati ...
, to the
Conseil constitutionnel
The Constitutional Council (french: Conseil constitutionnel; ) is the highest constitutional authority in France. It was established by the Constitution of the Fifth Republic on 4 October 1958 to ensure that constitutional principles and rules ...
from 23 February 1971, and served on this until his death.
Political views
As minister of the
French Overseas Territories
Overseas France (french: France d'outre-mer) consists of 13 French-administered territories outside Europe, mostly the remains of the French colonial empire that chose to remain a part of the French state under various statuses after decolon ...
, Coste-Floret worked on the
Halong Bay Halong may refer to:
* Ha Long, also known as Hong Gai, the capital city of Quang Ninh Province, Vietnam
* Halong Bay, a UNESCO World Heritage site located in Quảng Ninh province, Vietnam
* Halong naval base, an Indonesian Navy (previously Dutch) ...
Agreements (''Accords de la baie d’Along'') in 1949. He modified the law of
Cochinchina
Cochinchina or Cochin-China (, ; vi, Đàng Trong (17th century - 18th century, Việt Nam (1802-1831), Đại Nam (1831-1862), Nam Kỳ (1862-1945); km, កូសាំងស៊ីន, Kosăngsin; french: Cochinchine; ) is a historical exony ...
, which became part of
Vietnam
Vietnam or Viet Nam ( vi, Việt Nam, ), officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam,., group="n" is a country in Southeast Asia, at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of and population of 96 million, making i ...
. He proposed increased family benefits. As a ''député'' he defended the wine producers of Midi. In principle he supported the statute of
in 1957, but still said that he would vote against it. He recommended greater autonomy for French Black Africa.
From 1967 to 1971 he was vice-president of '' Centre Démocrate''.
Other posts
Coste-Floret was
mayor
In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well a ...
of
Lamalou-les-Bains
Lamalou-les-Bains (; Languedocien: ''L’Amalon'') is a commune in the Hérault département in the Occitanie region in southern France.
Geography
Lamalou-les-Bains is located 53½ miles west of Montpellier in the Orb valley of the southern ...
from 1953 to 1959 and mayor of
Lodève
Lodève (; oc, Lodeva ) is a commune in the département of Hérault, in the Occitanie region in southern France. It is a sub-prefecture of the department. The derivation of the city's name is from Gaulish ''Luteva'', composed of lut-, swamp, ...
Saint-Gervais-sur-Mare
Saint-Gervais-sur-Mare (Languedocien: ''Sant Gervais'') is a commune in the Hérault department in the Occitanie region in southern France.
Population
See also
*Communes of the Hérault department
The following is a list of the 342 Communes ...
from 1967 to 1973. He was chair of the
University of Montpellier
The University of Montpellier (french: Université de Montpellier) is a public university, public research university located in Montpellier, in south-east of France. Established in 1220, the University of Montpellier is one of the oldest univ ...
from 1977 to 1979.
Personal life
He was the twin brother of the politician .
Government roles
* ''Ministre de la Guerre'' in the government of
Paul Ramadier
Paul Ramadier (17 March 1888 in La Rochelle – 14 October 1961 in Rodez) was a French statesman.
Biography
The son of a psychiatrist, Ramadier graduated in law from the University of Toulouse and started his profession as a lawyer in Paris ...
Robert Schuman
Jean-Baptiste Nicolas Robert Schuman (; 29 June 18864 September 1963) was a Luxembourg-born French statesman. Schuman was a Christian Democrat (Popular Republican Movement) political thinker and activist. Twice Prime Minister of France, a ref ...
(1) (24 November 1947 – 26 July 1948)
* ''Ministre de la France d'Outre-mer'' in the government of
André Marie
André Marie (3 December 1897 – 12 June 1974) was a French Radical politician who served as Prime Minister during the Fourth Republic in 1948.
Biography
Born at Honfleur, Calvados, the young André Marie studied at primary and second ...
(26 July – 5 September 1948)
* ''Ministre de la France d'Outre-mer'' in the government of Robert Schuman (2) (5 September – 11 September 1948)
* ''Ministre de la France d'Outre-mer'' in the government of
Henri Queuille
Henri Queuille (; 31 March 1884 – 15 June 1970) was a French Radical politician prominent in the Third and Fourth Republics. After World War II, he served three times as Prime Minister.
Governments
First ministry (11 September 1948 – 28 O ...
(1) (11 September 1948 – 28 October 1949)
* ''Ministre de la France d'Outre-mer'' in the government of Henri Queuille (2) (2 July – 12 July 1950)
* '' Ministre de l'Information'' in the government of
Edgar Faure
Edgar Jean Faure (; 18 August 1908 – 30 March 1988) was a French politician, lawyer, essayist, historian and memoirist who served as Prime Minister of France in 1952 and again between 1955 and 1956.
* '' Ministre d'État'' in the government of
René Mayer
René Mayer (; 4 May 189513 December 1972) was a French Radical politician of the Fourth Republic who served briefly as Prime Minister during 1953.
Mayer was born and died in Paris. He led the Mayer Authority from 1955 to 1958. He was France ...
(8 January – 28 June 1953)
* ''Ministre de la Santé publique et de la Population'' in the government of
Joseph Laniel
Joseph Laniel (; 12 October 18898 April 1975) was a French conservative politician of the Fourth Republic, who served as Prime Minister for a year from 1953 to 1954. During the middle of his tenure as Prime Minister Laniel was an unsuccessful ...