Antony Géros

Antony Daniel Teva Géros (born 22 July 1956) is a French Polynesian politician and current President of the Assembly of French Polynesia. He has previously served as a Cabinet Minister, and three times as vice-president of French Polynesia. Since 2020 he has served as Mayor of Paea. He is a member of pro-independence party Tavini Huiraatira.

Antony Géros
Géros in 2023
President of the Assembly of French Polynesia
Assumed office
11 May 2023
Preceded byGaston Tong Sang
In office
14 April 2005 – 13 April 2006
Preceded byHirohiti Tefaarere
Succeeded byPhilip Schyle
In office
3 June 2004 – 16 November 2004
Preceded byLucette Taero
Succeeded byHirohiti Tefaarere
Mayor of Paea
Assumed office
3 July 2020
Preceded byJacquie Graffe
Succeeded byHirohiti Tefaarere
Vice-President of French Polynesia
In office
1 April 2011 – 17 May 2013
PresidentOscar Temaru
Preceded byTearii Alpha
Succeeded byNuihau Laurey
In office
16 February 2009 – 24 November 2009
PresidentOscar Temaru
Preceded byJules Ienfa
Succeeded byÉdouard Fritch
In office
13 September 2007 – 23 February 2008
PresidentOscar Temaru
Preceded byTemauri Foster
Succeeded byÉdouard Fritch
Member of the French Polynesian Assembly
for Windward Isles 2
Assumed office
12 November 1999
Personal details
Born (1956-07-22) 22 July 1956[1]
Papeete, French Polynesia[1]
Political partyUnion for Democracy
Tavini Huiraatira

Early life

Géros was born in Papeete and worked as secretary of the town of Faaa before entering politics.[1] He joined the pro-independence Tavini Huiraatira party in 1986, and has served on the municipal council of Paea since 1995.[2] He first entered the Assembly of French Polynesia in November 1999 as a replacement for Alexandre Léontieff, who had been convicted of corruption.[1] He was re-elected at the 2001 election.[1]

President of the Assembly of French Polynesia

Géros was elected as President of the Assembly following the 2004 French Polynesian legislative election, winning by a single vote over Emile Vernaudun.[3] Following his election he controversially installed a crucifix in the Assembly, resulting in the Greens leaving the Union for Democracy coalition.[4] The crucifix was removed by President Oscar Temaru in September 2004.[5] he was replaced by his deputy Hirohiti Tefaarere after the French Council of State annulled the 2004 election in November 2004.[6][7] He was re-elected to the Assembly in the resulting by-elections, and re-elected as President of the Assembly in the second round of voting.[8] He was replaced by Philip Schyle at the end of his one-year term in 2006, losing by a single vote.[9]

Cabinet Minister

Following Oscar Temaru's re-election as President of French Polynesia in September 2007 Géros joined his cabinet as Vice-President and Minister of Finance.[10] In December 2007 his budget failed to pass the Assembly.[11] He ran again for Assembly President following the 2008 French Polynesian legislative election, but lost to Édouard Fritch.[12] Two days later a power-sharing agreement with Tahoeraa Huiraatira saw Gaston Flosse re-elected as President,[13] with Géros joining his cabinet as Lands Minister.[14] He resigned as a Minister in April 2008 after Flosse lost a confidence vote in the Assembly, returning to the Assembly in July 2008.[15] He served as vice-President in Temaru's fourth government from February to November 2009, and again in Temaru's fifth government from April 2011 to May 2013.[16][17][18] In September 2012 he replaced Pierre Frébault as Minister of Finance in a cabinet reshuffle.[19]

He was re-elected to the Assembly at the 2013 election, and was the Union For Democracy's candidate for President.[20] Following the unseating of Édouard Fritch for corruption in September 2014 he again stood unsuccessfully for Assembly President, losing to Marcel Tuihani.[21]

He was re-elected again at the 2018 election.[22] Following the unseating of Oscar Temaru for breaching election campaign rules, he became leader of the Tavini Huiraatira in the Assembly.[23] He later criticised the French courts for being manipulated by the government and punishing Temaru for seeking justice for French Polynesia before the International Criminal Court.[24]

In June 2020 he was elected mayor of Paea.[25][26] In November 2020 he was elected President of the Superior Council of Municipal Civil Service.[27]

He was re-elected to the Assembly in the 2023 election.[28] On 11 May 2023 he was elected President of the Assembly for the third time, with 41 votes in favour and 16 abstentions.[29]

Political views

Géros supported the restoration of French Polynesia to the United Nations list of non-self-governing territories, and supports French Polynesian independence as a way of recognising the rights of the Maohi people.[30] he has repeatedly criticised France's refusal to engage with the United nations decolonization process.[31]

In 2010 he described French nuclear weapons testing at Moruroa as a crime against the people of Polynesia.[32]

References
  1. "Antony GEROS" (in French). Assemblée de la Polynésie française. Retrieved 22 September 2022.
  2. "Tony Géros à Paea, la 5e fois sera-t-elle la bonne ?" (in French). Radio 1. 10 March 2020. Retrieved 22 September 2022.
  3. "French Polynesia Assembly elects its new President". RNZ. 4 June 2004. Retrieved 22 September 2022.
  4. "Green party in French Polynesia denounces new government's policies". RNZ. 23 August 2004. Retrieved 22 September 2022.
  5. "French Polynesian President takes down crucifix from Assembly". RNZ. 20 September 2004. Retrieved 22 September 2022.
  6. "Décision N°268543" (in French). Conseil d'État. 15 November 2004. Retrieved 22 September 2022.
  7. "Ex-speaker in French Polynesia questions Paris crisis meeting". RNZ. 18 November 2004. Retrieved 22 September 2022.
  8. "French Polynesian assembly elects Geros as speaker". RNZ. 15 April 2005. Retrieved 22 September 2022.
  9. "French Polynesian Assembly elects new Assembly President". RNZ. 14 April 2006. Retrieved 22 September 2022.
  10. "French Polynesia's Temaru presents new government". RNZ. 20 September 2007. Retrieved 22 September 2022.
  11. "French Polynesian assembly fails to pass 2008 budget". RNZ. 19 December 2007. Retrieved 22 September 2022.
  12. "Edouard Fritch re-elected as French Polynesia assembly president". RNZ. 22 February 2008. Retrieved 22 September 2022.
  13. "Flosse wins French Polynesian presidency". RNZ. 24 February 2008. Retrieved 22 September 2022.
  14. "President Flosse announces French Polynesian coalition government line-up". RNZ. 29 February 2008. Retrieved 22 September 2022.
  15. "Eight French Polynesian assembly members replaced". RNZ. 2 July 2008. Retrieved 22 September 2022.
  16. "Temaru presents new French Polynesia government". RNZ. 6 April 2011. Retrieved 22 September 2022.
  17. "Delayed French Polynesia assembly sitting". RNZ. 13 April 2011. Retrieved 22 September 2022.
  18. "Oscar Temaru a présenté la composition de son gouvernement" (in French). Tahiti Infos. 5 April 2011. Retrieved 16 October 2022.
  19. "Frébault débarqué des Finances au profit de Géros" (in French). Tahiti Infos. 5 September 2012. Retrieved 4 December 2022.
  20. "Flosse elected as French Polynesia president for fifth time". RNZ. 18 May 2013. Retrieved 22 September 2022.
  21. "Tuihani new French assembly president". RNZ. 16 September 2014. Retrieved 22 September 2022.
  22. "Territoriales 2018 : Le nouveau visage de l'Assemblée" (in French). Tahiti Infos. 6 May 2018. Retrieved 22 September 2022.
  23. ""Oscar Temaru va continuer à faire entendre sa voix"" (in French). Tahiti Infos. 29 October 2018. Retrieved 22 September 2022.
  24. "France still coming under fire for removing Temaru from Assembly". RNZ. 30 October 2018. Retrieved 22 September 2022.
  25. "French Polynesia completes second round of municipal elections". RNZ. 30 June 2020. Retrieved 22 September 2022.
  26. "Antony Géros décroche Paea" (in French). Tahiti Infos. 28 June 2020. Retrieved 22 September 2022.
  27. "Antony Géros nouveau président du Conseil supérieur de la FPC" (in French). Tahiti Infos. 16 November 2020. Retrieved 22 September 2022.
  28. "La nouvelle composition de l'assemblée" (in French). Tahiti Infos. 1 May 2023. Retrieved 1 May 2023.
  29. "Tony Géros élu président de l'assemblée de la Polynésie française" (in French). Radio1. 11 May 2023. Retrieved 12 May 2023.
  30. "Paris asked to hold French Polynesia independence referendum". RNZ. 31 May 2013. Retrieved 22 September 2022.
  31. "French Polynesia's pro-independence unhappy with France at UN". RNZ. 16 October 2017. Retrieved 22 September 2022.
  32. "Suggestion to declare French Polynesia independent in order to challenge compensation law". RNZ. 8 March 2010. Retrieved 22 September 2022.
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