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| Claude Bartolone | |
|---|---|
| Name | Claude Bartolone |
| Birth date | 29 July 1951 |
| Birth place | Tunis, French Protectorate of Tunisia |
| Nationality | French |
| Occupation | Politician |
| Office | President of the National Assembly |
| Term start | 26 June 2012 |
| Term end | 20 June 2017 |
| Predecessor | Bernard Accoyer |
| Successor | François de Rugy |
Claude Bartolone (born 29 July 1951) is a French politician who served as President of the National Assembly from 2012 to 2017. A member of the Socialist Party, he represented constituencies in the Seine-Saint-Denis department in the National Assembly and held local office as President of the General Council of Seine-Saint-Denis and Mayor of Le Pré-Saint-Gervais. Bartolone's career intersected with leading figures and institutions of the Fifth Republic, and his biography reflects broader currents in French politics, including debates over social policy, secularism, and immigration.
Bartolone was born in Tunis in the French protectorate of Tunisia to a family of Sicilian origin; his parents emigrated from Sicily to Tunisia and later to France. The family settled in the Paris region, in Seine-Saint-Denis, an area shaped by postwar migration and urban development tied to municipalities like Saint-Denis and Bobigny. His upbringing in a working-class immigrant family connected him to social movements and political currents linked to the French Communist Party and later to the Socialist Party, amid national debates involving figures such as François Mitterrand and Michel Rocard.
Bartolone studied at institutions in the Paris region, attending schools and training routes that connected to local civil service and public administration networks. Early in his career he worked in positions associated with municipal and departmental administration in Seine-Saint-Denis, engaging with public actors like the Conseil général de la Seine-Saint-Denis and municipal councils of communes including Le Pré-Saint-Gervais. His early professional life brought him into contact with trade unions and associations that collaborated with parties such as the Unified Socialist Party and later with cadres from the Socialist Party.
Bartolone's electoral and party career developed within the Socialist Party. He was elected to the National Assembly representing constituencies in Seine-Saint-Denis and served multiple terms alongside deputies from parties like the French Communist Party and the UMP. His local political profile included election as Mayor of Le Pré-Saint-Gervais and as President of the General Council of Seine-Saint-Denis, where he worked on issues with prefectures such as the Prefecture of Seine-Saint-Denis and collaborated with regional bodies like the Île-de-France Regional Council. Nationally, he participated in parliamentary groups, worked with ministers from administrations led by Lionel Jospin, Jacques Chirac, Nicolas Sarkozy, and François Hollande, and engaged in legislative debates alongside colleagues such as Jean-Marc Ayrault and Martine Aubry.
In June 2012, following the victory of the Socialist Party in the legislative elections concurrent with the presidency of François Hollande, Bartolone was elected President of the National Assembly. As presiding officer he oversaw legislative sessions that debated major measures linked to the Hollande presidency, including reforms proposed by Prime Ministers Jean-Marc Ayrault and Manuel Valls, and votes involving bills on taxation, labor law, and social policy. His tenure required management of relations with parliamentary groups such as the Socialist Group, the UMP opposition, and smaller groups including the Radical Party of the Left and the New Centre. Bartolone represented the Assembly in international parliamentary forums, engaging with counterparts from bodies like the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe and delegations from countries including Italy, Germany, and Spain.
Bartolone positioned himself within the moderate-left currents of the Socialist Party, advocating policies on social cohesion, urban policy, and rights for migrants that connected to debates involving Laïcité in France and municipal initiatives in Seine-Saint-Denis. He supported measures aligned with leaders such as François Hollande while at times distancing from controversial reforms pushed by figures like Emmanuel Macron after 2014. His public image was shaped by frequent interventions in televised debates, exchanges with journalists from outlets like France 2 and TF1, and appearances at events featuring intellectuals and politicians such as Bernard Henri-Lévy and Élisabeth Guigou.
Throughout his career Bartolone faced scrutiny typical of high-profile French politicians, including inquiries into campaign financing and questions raised in local press regarding municipal contracts in Le Pré-Saint-Gervais and departmental decisions in Seine-Saint-Denis. Media outlets such as Le Monde, Le Figaro, and Libération reported on complaints and administrative reviews, and judicial bodies including investigating judges and prosecutors examined aspects of local governance. Some controversies involved accusations by political opponents from parties such as the National Front and the UMP, who challenged decisions on public procurement and transparency; outcomes included administrative controls and public debates rather than long-term convictions.
Bartolone is married and has a family; his personal biography intersects with cultural and civic organisations in Île-de-France, associations linked to immigrant communities from Sicily and Tunisia, and networks of municipal leaders such as mayors from Seine-Saint-Denis and Paris. He has been decorated in France and received recognition in contexts involving parliamentary diplomacy with legislatures of countries like Italy and Portugal. His honours reflect a career bridging local municipal leadership and national parliamentary responsibility during the Fifth Republic.
Category:1951 births Category:Living people Category:French politicians Category:Presidents of the National Assembly (France) Category:People from Tunis