View source for Christian Poncelet

{{Short description|French politician (1928–2020)}}
{{Infobox President
| name                = Christian Poncelet
| image               = Christian Poncelet par Claude Truong-Ngoc octobre 2013.jpg
| order               = [[List of presidents of the Senate of France|President of the French Senate]]
| term_start          = 2 October 1998
| term_end            = 30 September 2008
| predecessor         = [[René Monory]]
| successor           = [[Gérard Larcher]]
| birth_date          = {{Birth date|1928|03|24|df=yes}}
| birth_place         = [[Blaise, Ardennes]]
| death_date          = {{death date and age|2020|9|11|1928|3|24|df=y}}
| death_place         = [[Remiremont]], [[France]]
| party               = [[Union for a Popular Movement|UMP]]
| spouse              = {{Marriage|Yvette Miclot|1949|2019|end=died}}
| children            = 2
| caption             = Poncelet in 2013
}}
'''Christian Poncelet''' ({{IPA|fr|kʁistjɑ̃ pɔ̃slɛ}}; 24 March 1928{{spnd}}11 September 2020) was a conservative [[France|French]] politician.  A member of President [[Nicolas Sarkozy|Nicolas Sarkozy's]] [[Union for a Popular Movement]] (UMP),<ref name=S>[http://www.senat.fr/senfic/poncelet_christian77058m.html CV at Senate website] {{in lang|fr}}.</ref> he was [[List of Presidents of the French Senate|President]] of the [[French Senate|Senate]] from 1998 to 2008. In addition to being a Senator, he was Mayor of [[Remiremont]] ([[Vosges (department)|Vosges]]) and was also the President of the [[General councils of France|General Council]] of Vosges.

==Political career==
He was elected to the [[National Assembly of France|National Assembly]] in the [[1962 French legislative election|November 1962 parliamentary election]] from the Third Constituency of Vosges<ref>[http://www.assemblee-nationale.fr/histoire/trombinoscope/Vrepublique/Legis02/poncelet-christian-24031928.asp Page for Poncelet as a member of the Second Legislature], National Assembly website {{in lang|fr}}.</ref> and was re-elected from the same constituency in the [[1967 French legislative election|March 1967 parliamentary election]]<ref>[http://www.assemblee-nationale.fr/histoire/trombinoscope/Vrepublique/Legis03/poncelet-christian-24031928.asp Page for Poncelet as a member of the Third Legislature], National Assembly website {{in lang|fr}}.</ref> and the [[1968 French legislative election|June 1968 parliamentary election]]. He served as a deputy until August 1972, when he vacated his seat following his nomination as a member of the government.<ref>[http://www.assemblee-nationale.fr/histoire/trombinoscope/Vrepublique/Legis04/poncelet-christian-24031928.asp Page for Poncelet as a member of the Fourth Legislature], National Assembly website {{in lang|fr}}.</ref> He was first elected to the Senate in September 1977, and he was re-elected in September 1986, September 1995, and September 2004, representing Vosges.<ref name=S/>

On 2 October 1998, Poncelet was elected by the Senate as its [[President of the Senate|President]] in a third round of voting. The previous President of the Senate, [[René Monory]], had withdrawn after the first round of voting. In the third round, Poncelet received 189 votes against 93 for Socialist candidate [[Claude Estier]] and one vote for the withdrawn Communist candidate [[Hélène Luc]].<ref>"Gaullist elected as speaker of French upper house", France 2 TV teletext (nl.newsbank.com), 2 October 1998.</ref>

In 2000, Poncelet was awarded the Grand Cross of the [[Royal Norwegian Order of Merit]].

Following the [[2008 French Senate election|September 2008 Senate election]], it was announced on 24 September that Poncelet would not seek another term as President of the Senate, although he would continue to serve as a Senator.<ref>[http://www.senat.fr/presse/cp20080924.html "Christian Poncelet ne souhaite pas briguer un nouveau mandat de Président du Sénat"], Senate website, 24 September 2008 {{in lang|fr}}.</ref> He was succeeded by [[Gérard Larcher]], also from the UMP, on 1 October.<ref>[http://www.senat.fr/seances/s200810/s20081001/s20081001001.html#Niv1_SOM8 "Séance du 1er octobre 2008 (compte rendu intégral des débats)"], Senate website {{in lang|fr}}.</ref>

==Personal life==
Poncelet was born in [[Blaise, Ardennes|Blaise]] (now part of [[Vouziers]]) in the [[Ardennes]]. 

Poncelet died in [[Remiremont]], on 11 September 2020, at the age of 92.<ref>[https://www.estrepublicain.fr/politique/2020/09/11/christian-poncelet-ancien-president-du-senat-et-maire-de-remiremont-est-mort-a-92-ans Christian Poncelet, ancien président du Sénat et maire de Remiremont est mort à 92 ans] {{in lang|fr}}</ref>

==Political career==
{{Organize section|date=September 2020}}
'''Governmental functions'''

* Secretary of State for Social Affairs: 1972–1973
* Secretary of State for Employment and Population : 1973–1974
* Secretary of State for Public Service : March–May 1974
* Secretary of State for Budget : May 1974 – 1977
* Secretary of State for Parliamentary Relations : April–September 1977 (Became senator in 1977)

'''Electoral mandates'''

'''''European Parliament'''''

* Member of the [[European Parliament]] : 1979–1980 (resignation). Elected in 1979.

'''''National Assembly'''''

* Member of the [[National Assembly of France]] for [[Vosges (department)|Vosges]] : 1962–1972 (Became Secretary of State in 1972). Elected in 1962, re-elected in 1967, 1968, 1973, but he stayed Secretary of State.

'''''Senate'''''

* President of the [[Senate of France]] : 1998–2008. Elected in 1998, re-elected in 2001, 2004.
* Président of the Finance Commission of the Senate : 1986–1998.
* Senator of [[Vosges (department)|Vosges]] : 1977-2014. Elected in 1977, re-elected in 1986, 1995, 2004.

'''''Regional Council'''''

* Regional councillor of [[Lorraine (region)|Lorraine]] : 1977–1992.

'''''General Council'''''

* President of the General Council of [[Vosges (department)|Vosges]] : 1976-2015. Re-elected in 1979, 1982, 1985, 1988, 1992, 1994, 1998, 2001, 2004, 2008, 2011.
* General councillor of [[Vosges (department)|Vosges]] : 1964-2015. Re-elected in 1970, 1976, 1982, 1988, 1994, 2001, 2008.

'''''Municipal Council'''''
* Mayor of [[Remiremont]] : 1983-2001. Re-elected in 1989, 1995.
* Deputy Mayor of [[Remiremont]] : 1971-1983. Re-elected in 1977.
* Municipal councillor of [[Remiremont]] : 1965–2001. Re-elected in 1971, 1977, 1983, 1989, 1995.

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{s-start}}
{{s-off}}
{{S-bef|before=[[Henri Torre]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=[[List of Budget Ministers of France|Secretary of State for Budget]]|years=1974–1977}}
{{S-aft|after=[[Pierre Bernard-Reymond]]}}
|-
{{S-bef|before=[[Robert Boulin]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=Secretary of State for Parliamentary Relations|years=1977}}
{{S-aft|after=[[André Bord]]}}
|-
{{S-bef|before=[[René Monory]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=[[List of presidents of the Senate of France|President of the French Senate]]|years=1998–2008}}
{{S-aft|after=[[Gérard Larcher]]}}
{{s-end}}


{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Poncelet, Christian}}
[[Category:1928 births]]
[[Category:2020 deaths]]
[[Category:People from Vouziers]]
[[Category:Politicians from Grand Est]]
[[Category:Democratic Union of Labour politicians]]
[[Category:Union for the New Republic politicians]]
[[Category:Union of Democrats for the Republic politicians]]
[[Category:Rally for the Republic politicians]]
[[Category:Union for a Popular Movement politicians]]
[[Category:Budget ministers of France]]
[[Category:Deputies of the 2nd National Assembly of the French Fifth Republic]]
[[Category:Deputies of the 3rd National Assembly of the French Fifth Republic]]
[[Category:Deputies of the 4th National Assembly of the French Fifth Republic]]
[[Category:Deputies of the 5th National Assembly of the French Fifth Republic]]
[[Category:French senators of the Fifth Republic]]
[[Category:Senators of Vosges (department)]]
[[Category:Presidents of the Senate (France)]]
[[Category:French Confederation of Christian Workers members]]
[[Category:Members of the Académie des sciences morales et politiques]]
[[Category:Grand Crosses of the Order of the Star of Romania]]