Jean Lassalle
Encyclopedia
Jean Lassalle is a French
Occitan
politician and MoDem deputy in the National Assembly
.
since 21 March 1977, and has sat on the conseil général of the département of Pyrénées-Atlantiques
since 22 March 1982, serving as vice-president since 1 January 1991. He was elected to the National Assembly in the 2002 legislative election
, and represents the 4th constituency of Pyrénées-Atlantiques. Since 2002 Lassalle has led the World Mountain People Association, an international network of mountain-dwellers active in more than 70 countries. He also leads a Haut-Béarn
cultural association.
On 3 June 2003 Lassalle stood up in the National Assembly during questions to Minister of the Interior
Nicolas Sarkozy
and sang the Occitan
anthem Se Canto
in protest at an announcement by Sarkozy concerning the housing of 23 gendarmes tasked with guarding the Somport
tunnel, which links France with Spain
through the Pyrenees
. The village closest to the French end of the tunnel is Urdos
, but it was announced that the gendarmes would be housed in the nearby town of Oloron-Sainte-Marie
, on the grounds that their wives would become bored in Urdos. As he explained in an interview with France 3
later that day, Lassalle took exception to what he saw as a slur on the Pyrenean village and decided to interrupt the minister with his song. The protest was met by laughter from other deputies, disapproval from the president of the Assembly, and bemusement from Sarkozy.
in 2006, in protest at a threat to jobs in his constituency. Japan
ese firm Toyal, which owned a paint factory near Accous
in the Vallée d'Aspe and employed 150 of Lassalle's constituents, announced plans to open a factory 60 km away. The firm claimed that this relocation of its investment would not result in the closure of the Accous site, but Lassalle's concerns were not assuaged and he embarked on a hunger strike on 7 March.
The strike ended on 14 April, when Toyal offered an assurance to Minister of the Interior Nicolas Sarkozy that the factory would not close, and that it would continue investment in the area before expanding elsewhere. Earlier the same day he had been admitted to hospital in Garches
, in the western suburbs of Paris
, prompting intervention by President
Jacques Chirac
, Prime Minister
Dominique de Villepin
and Sarkozy. Lassalle had lost 21 kg over the course of the strike.
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...
Occitan
Occitania
Occitania , also sometimes lo País d'Òc, "the Oc Country"), is the region in southern Europe where Occitan was historically the main language spoken, and where it is sometimes still used, for the most part as a second language...
politician and MoDem deputy in the National Assembly
French National Assembly
The French National Assembly is the lower house of the bicameral Parliament of France under the Fifth Republic. The upper house is the Senate ....
.
Political career
Lassalle has served as mayor of the commune of Lourdios-IchèreLourdios-Ichère
Lourdios-Ichère is a commune in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department in south-western France. The French politician Jean Lassalle is the mayor.-References:*...
since 21 March 1977, and has sat on the conseil général of the département of Pyrénées-Atlantiques
Pyrénées-Atlantiques
Pyrénées-Atlantiques is a department in the southwest of France which takes its name from the Pyrenees mountains and the Atlantic Ocean.- History :...
since 22 March 1982, serving as vice-president since 1 January 1991. He was elected to the National Assembly in the 2002 legislative election
French legislative election, 2002
-12th Assembly by Parliamentary Group:...
, and represents the 4th constituency of Pyrénées-Atlantiques. Since 2002 Lassalle has led the World Mountain People Association, an international network of mountain-dwellers active in more than 70 countries. He also leads a Haut-Béarn
Béarn
Béarn is one of the traditional provinces of France, located in the Pyrenees mountains and in the plain at their feet, in southwest France. Along with the three Basque provinces of Soule, Lower Navarre, and Labourd, the principality of Bidache, as well as small parts of Gascony, it forms in the...
cultural association.
On 3 June 2003 Lassalle stood up in the National Assembly during questions to Minister of the Interior
Minister of the Interior (France)
The Minister of the Interior in France is one of the most important governmental cabinet positions, responsible for the following:* The general interior security of the country, with respect to criminal acts or natural catastrophes...
Nicolas Sarkozy
Nicolas Sarkozy
Nicolas Sarkozy is the 23rd and current President of the French Republic and ex officio Co-Prince of Andorra. He assumed the office on 16 May 2007 after defeating the Socialist Party candidate Ségolène Royal 10 days earlier....
and sang the Occitan
Occitania
Occitania , also sometimes lo País d'Òc, "the Oc Country"), is the region in southern Europe where Occitan was historically the main language spoken, and where it is sometimes still used, for the most part as a second language...
anthem Se Canto
Se Canto
Se Canta is an anthem associated with Occitania. It is also a very old popular song, known all over Occitania. According to legend, it was written by Gaston III Fébus , Count of Foix and Béarn....
in protest at an announcement by Sarkozy concerning the housing of 23 gendarmes tasked with guarding the Somport
Somport
Somport is a mountain pass in the central Pyrenees on the border of France and Spain. The pass, whose name is derived from the Latin Summus portus, was one of the most popular routes for crossing the mountains for soldiers, merchants, and St...
tunnel, which links France with Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
through the Pyrenees
Pyrenees
The Pyrenees is a range of mountains in southwest Europe that forms a natural border between France and Spain...
. The village closest to the French end of the tunnel is Urdos
Urdos
Urdos is a commune in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department in south-western France.-References:*...
, but it was announced that the gendarmes would be housed in the nearby town of Oloron-Sainte-Marie
Oloron-Sainte-Marie
Oloron-Sainte-Marie is a commune in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department in south-western France. The town of Oloron-Sante-Marie is positioned at the junction of two rivers and has a population of approximately 12,000. While not spectacular, it is a pleasant looking town, with an ancient quarter,...
, on the grounds that their wives would become bored in Urdos. As he explained in an interview with France 3
France 3
France 3 is the second largest French public television channel and part of the France Télévisions group, which also includes France 2, France 4, France 5, and France Ô....
later that day, Lassalle took exception to what he saw as a slur on the Pyrenean village and decided to interrupt the minister with his song. The protest was met by laughter from other deputies, disapproval from the president of the Assembly, and bemusement from Sarkozy.
Hunger strike
Lassalle undertook a 39-day hunger strikeHunger strike
A hunger strike is a method of non-violent resistance or pressure in which participants fast as an act of political protest, or to provoke feelings of guilt in others, usually with the objective to achieve a specific goal, such as a policy change. Most hunger strikers will take liquids but not...
in 2006, in protest at a threat to jobs in his constituency. Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese firm Toyal, which owned a paint factory near Accous
Accous
Accous is a commune in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department in south-western France....
in the Vallée d'Aspe and employed 150 of Lassalle's constituents, announced plans to open a factory 60 km away. The firm claimed that this relocation of its investment would not result in the closure of the Accous site, but Lassalle's concerns were not assuaged and he embarked on a hunger strike on 7 March.
The strike ended on 14 April, when Toyal offered an assurance to Minister of the Interior Nicolas Sarkozy that the factory would not close, and that it would continue investment in the area before expanding elsewhere. Earlier the same day he had been admitted to hospital in Garches
Garches
Garches is a commune in the western suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the centre of Paris.Garches has remained largely residential, but is also the location of the Hôpital Raymond Poincaré , which specialises in traumatology, road accidents and physiotherapy.-19 January Monument:The...
, in the western suburbs of 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...
, prompting intervention by President
President of the French Republic
The President of the French Republic colloquially referred to in English as the President of France, is France's elected Head of State....
Jacques Chirac
Jacques Chirac
Jacques René Chirac is a French politician who served as President of France from 1995 to 2007. He previously served as Prime Minister of France from 1974 to 1976 and from 1986 to 1988 , and as Mayor of Paris from 1977 to 1995.After completing his studies of the DEA's degree at the...
, Prime Minister
Prime Minister of France
The Prime Minister of France in the Fifth Republic is the head of government and of the Council of Ministers of France. The head of state is the President of the French Republic...
Dominique de Villepin
Dominique de Villepin
Dominique Marie François René Galouzeau de Villepin is a French politician who served as the Prime Minister of France from 31 May 2005 to 17 May 2007....
and Sarkozy. Lassalle had lost 21 kg over the course of the strike.
Trivia
- His son Thibault Lassalle is a very promising rugby unionRugby unionRugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
footballer. He was a member of the French U19 team taking part in the 2006 U19 World Championships in DubaiDubaiDubai is a city and emirate in the United Arab Emirates . The emirate is located south of the Persian Gulf on the Arabian Peninsula and has the largest population with the second-largest land territory by area of all the emirates, after Abu Dhabi...
in which France reached the semi-final.
External links
- Official website (in French)
- Official website (in English; less information)
- World Mountain People Association