Franck Borotra (born 30 August 1937) is a French politician, member of the Rally for the Republic party. He was the
Minister of Posts, Telegraphs, and Telephones
The Minister of Posts and Telegraphs, to which was later added the charge of Telephones (the position was later named "Minister of Posts and Telecommunications"), was, in the Government of France, the cabinet member in charge of the French Postal ...
from 7 November 1995 to 2 June 1997 under the government of Prime Minister
Alain Juppé
Alain Marie Juppé (; born 15 August 1945) is a French politician. A member of The Republicans (France), The Republicans, he was Prime Minister of France from 1995 to 1997 under President Jacques Chirac, during which period he faced 1995 strikes ...
and was a member of 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 ...
from 1986 to 2002. He also served as President of the Departmental Council of
Yvelines
Yvelines () is a department in the western part of the Île-de-France region in Northern France. In 2019, it had a population of 1,448,207.Deputy Mayor
The deputy mayor (also known as vice mayor, assistant mayor, or mayor ''pro tem'') is an elective or appointive office of the second-ranking official that is present in many, but not all, local governments.
Duties and functions
Many elected dep ...
of the city of
Versailles
The Palace of Versailles ( ; french: Château de Versailles ) is a former royal residence built by King Louis XIV located in Versailles, about west of Paris, France. The palace is owned by the French Republic and since 1995 has been managed, ...
. Despite his long career in local and national politics, Borotra is little known among the French public.
Early life and family
Borotra was born on 30 August 1937 in
Nantes
Nantes (, , ; Gallo: or ; ) is a city in Loire-Atlantique on the Loire, from the Atlantic coast. The city is the sixth largest in France, with a population of 314,138 in Nantes proper and a metropolitan area of nearly 1 million inhabit ...
, in the
Loire-Atlantique
Loire-Atlantique (; br, Liger-Atlantel; before 1957: ''Loire-Inférieure'', br, Liger-Izelañ, link=no) is a department in Pays de la Loire on the west coast of France, named after the river Loire and the Atlantic Ocean. It had a population ...
department on the west coast of France. He trained as an engineer. Before entering politics, he worked in an oil refinery in
Dunkirk
Dunkirk (french: Dunkerque ; vls, label= French Flemish, Duunkerke; nl, Duinkerke(n) ; , ;) is a commune in the department of Nord in northern France.Charles de Gaulle to the refinery that motivated him to join politics.
He is the twin brother of Didier Borotra, ( Democratic Movement - MoDem), former French senator and
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 as ...
of
Biarritz
Biarritz ( , , , ; Basque also ; oc, Biàrritz ) is a city on the Bay of Biscay, on the Atlantic coast in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department in the French Basque Country in southwestern France. It is located from the border with Sp ...
. His is also the father of the French actress
Claire Borotra
Claire Borotra, (born 25 September 1973 in Boulogne-Billancourt, Paris) is a French actress, screenwriter and producer.
She first found fame in the 2003 mini-series ''Le Bleu de l'océan'' (The Blue of the Ocean) shown on TF1, where she played ...
and the nephew of the French tennis player and politician
Jean Borotra
Jean Laurent Robert Borotra (, ; 13 August 1898 – 17 July 1994) was a French tennis champion. He was one of the " Four Musketeers" from his country who dominated tennis in the late 1920s and early 1930s. Borotra was imprisoned in Itter Castle ...
.
Political career
*Municipal council member:
**1983 to 1995: Deputy mayor of
Versailles
The Palace of Versailles ( ; french: Château de Versailles ) is a former royal residence built by King Louis XIV located in Versailles, about west of Paris, France. The palace is owned by the French Republic and since 1995 has been managed, ...
, in charge of external co-operation and sports
*Departmental council member:
**1988 to 2005: Departmental council member of
Vélizy-Villacoublay
Vélizy-Villacoublay () is a commune in the Yvelines department in the Île-de-France in north-central France. It is located in the south-western suburbs of Paris from the center and east of Versailles. Its inhabitants are called Véliziens. ...
;
**1994 to 2005: President of the departmental council of
Yvelines
Yvelines () is a department in the western part of the Île-de-France region in Northern France. In 2019, it had a population of 1,448,207.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 ...
:
**2 April 1986 to 14 May 1988;
**13 June 1988 to 1 April 1993;
**2 avril 1993 to 4 December 1995: resignation 4 December 1995;
**26 February 1996 (special elections) to 26 March 1996: abandoned duties to assume ministerial position;
**1 June 1997 to 18 June 2002.
Retirement
In February 2002, Borotra announced, in a press release to his supporters, that he would not seek re-election in the 2002 legislative elections. Referring to his career as an engineer and then his engagement in politics, Borotra said in the press release, "I've already had two lives and I will have a third." In 2005, he gave up his last elected mandate as president of the departmental council of Yvelines. He has largely withdrawn from the public eye since leaving politics, only rarely appearing for public events.