Adolphe Colrat
Encyclopedia
Adolphe Colrat is a French
civil servant and the current French
High Commissioner of the Republic in French Polynesia since 2008. He succeeded Anne Boquet in the post.
for the French police commissioner
in Réunion
, a French overseas department in the Indian Ocean
, from 1983 until 1985. He also served as the prefecture secretary general in Réunion beginning in 1992.
Colrat also served as the head of civil protection at the Prefecture
of the French capital, Paris
from April 2001 until February 2004. He also served as the French Prefect of the Ardennes
department from 2004 until 2006.
Colrat later became temporary director of political, administrative and financial affairs at the French Ministry for Overseas Territories
for two years from August 2006 until 2008.
He arrived in French Polynesia
with his wife on Saturday night of July 5, 2008, to assume his position as High Commissioner. Colrat was greeted at the Faa'a International Airport
in Papeete
by French Polynesian President
Gaston Tong Sang
, members of the Assembly of French Polynesia
and other local Tahitian-based politicians. His welcoming ceremony included traditional Tahiti
an singers and tamure
dancers and a presentation of garlands made from tiare flowers.
Adolphe Colrat was officially sworn in as High Commissioner of the Republic in French Polynesia on Monday, July 7, 2008 when he was 53 years old.
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
civil servant and the current French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
High Commissioner of the Republic in French Polynesia since 2008. He succeeded Anne Boquet in the post.
Early life
Colrat is a graduate of the École normale supérieure (rue d'Ulm), agrégé de lettres classiques, graduate of the Institut d'études politiques de Paris and of the French National Administration School (ENA).Career
Colrat held the post of chief of staffChief of Staff
The title, chief of staff, identifies the leader of a complex organization, institution, or body of persons and it also may identify a Principal Staff Officer , who is the coordinator of the supporting staff or a primary aide to an important individual, such as a president.In general, a chief of...
for the French police commissioner
Police commissioner
Commissioner is a senior rank used in many police forces and may be rendered Police Commissioner or Commissioner of Police. In some organizations, the commissioner is a political appointee, and may or may not actually be a professional police officer. In these circumstances, there is often a...
in Réunion
Réunion
Réunion is a French island with a population of about 800,000 located in the Indian Ocean, east of Madagascar, about south west of Mauritius, the nearest island.Administratively, Réunion is one of the overseas departments of France...
, a French overseas department in the Indian Ocean
Indian Ocean
The Indian Ocean is the third largest of the world's oceanic divisions, covering approximately 20% of the water on the Earth's surface. It is bounded on the north by the Indian Subcontinent and Arabian Peninsula ; on the west by eastern Africa; on the east by Indochina, the Sunda Islands, and...
, from 1983 until 1985. He also served as the prefecture secretary general in Réunion beginning in 1992.
Colrat also served as the head of civil protection at the Prefecture
Prefecture
A prefecture is an administrative jurisdiction or subdivision in any of various countries and within some international church structures, and in antiquity a Roman district governed by an appointed prefect.-Antiquity:...
of the French capital, Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
from April 2001 until February 2004. He also served as the French Prefect of the Ardennes
Ardennes
The Ardennes is a region of extensive forests, rolling hills and ridges formed within the Givetian Ardennes mountain range, primarily in Belgium and Luxembourg, but stretching into France , and geologically into the Eifel...
department from 2004 until 2006.
Colrat later became temporary director of political, administrative and financial affairs at the French Ministry for Overseas Territories
Minister of Overseas France
The Minister of Overseas France is a cabinet member in the Government of France responsible for overseeing French overseas departments and territories .The position is currently held by Brice Hortefeux, who is also the Minister of the Interior...
for two years from August 2006 until 2008.
High Commissioner of the Republic in French Polynesia
Colrat was appointed High Commissioner of the Republic in French Polynesia by the Sarkozy government in June 2008. His predecessor, Anne Boquet, departed French Polynesia on June 29, 2008, after serving three years as the first female High Commissioner.He arrived in French Polynesia
French Polynesia
French Polynesia is an overseas country of the French Republic . It is made up of several groups of Polynesian islands, the most famous island being Tahiti in the Society Islands group, which is also the most populous island and the seat of the capital of the territory...
with his wife on Saturday night of July 5, 2008, to assume his position as High Commissioner. Colrat was greeted at the Faa'a International Airport
Faa'a International Airport
- Overview :The Faaa International Airport is a relatively small airport. Air Tahiti has flights every day going to all the other islands in French Polynesia while international flights go to different countries such as the United States or New Zealand. The airport is on Tahiti which is an island...
in Papeete
Papeete
-Sights:* Interactive Google map of Papeete, to discover the 30 major tourist attractions in Papeete downtown.*The waterfront esplanade*Bougainville Park -Sights:* Interactive Google map of Papeete, to discover the 30 major tourist attractions in Papeete downtown.*The waterfront...
by French Polynesian President
President of French Polynesia
This is the list of Presidents of French Polynesia.-See also:*List of monarchs of Tahiti*Colonial and Departmental Heads of French Polynesia-External links:*...
Gaston Tong Sang
Gaston Tong Sang
Gaston Tong Sang is the former President of French Polynesia. He served terms as President of French Polynesia from November 2009 until April 2011, from April 2008 until February 2009 and from December 2006 until September 2007.; he is currently the Mayor of Bora-Bora...
, members of the Assembly of French Polynesia
Assembly of French Polynesia
The Assembly of French Polynesia is the unicameral legislature of French Polynesia, located at the Place Tarahoi in Papeete, Tahiti. It consists of 57 members who are elected by popular vote and by proportional representation in 6 multi-seat constituencies. The only official language of the...
and other local Tahitian-based politicians. His welcoming ceremony included traditional Tahiti
Tahiti
Tahiti is the largest island in the Windward group of French Polynesia, located in the archipelago of the Society Islands in the southern Pacific Ocean. It is the economic, cultural and political centre of French Polynesia. The island was formed from volcanic activity and is high and mountainous...
an singers and tamure
Tamure
The tāmūrē, or Tamouré as popularized in many 1960s recordings, is a dance from Tahiti and the Cook Islands and although denied by the local purists, for the rest of the world it is the most popular dance and the mark of Tahiti...
dancers and a presentation of garlands made from tiare flowers.
Adolphe Colrat was officially sworn in as High Commissioner of the Republic in French Polynesia on Monday, July 7, 2008 when he was 53 years old.