Jean-Pierre Bel

Jean-Pierre Bel (born 30 December 1951) is a French retired politician who served as President of the Senate from 2011 to 2014 (the sole non-right-wing in the Fifth Republic). From the Ariège department, Bel is a member of the Socialist Party; he was elected to the Senate in September 1998 and re-elected in September 2008. Bel was President of the Socialist Group in the Senate from 2004 to 2011.

Jean-Pierre Bel
President of the French Senate
In office
1 October 2011 – 30 September 2014
Preceded byGérard Larcher
Succeeded byGérard Larcher
Leader of the Opposition in the Senate
In office
1 October 2004 – 30 September 2011
Preceded byClaude Estier
Succeeded byJean-Claude Gaudin
Senator for Ariège
In office
1 October 1998 – 30 September 2014
Preceded byGermain Authié
Succeeded byAlain Duran
Personal details
Born (1951-12-30) 30 December 1951
Lavaur, France
Political partySocialist Party
Alma materToulouse 1 University Capitole
ProfessionJurist

Following the September 2008 Senate election, Bel was the Socialist candidate for the post of President of the Senate on 1 October 2008, but because the right held a majority of seats in the Senate, he was defeated by Gérard Larcher. In the vote, he received 134 votes against 173 votes for Larcher.[1]

The left won a Senate majority in the September 2011 Senate election, and Bel was elected as President of the Senate on 1 October 2011. He received 179 votes against 134 votes for the right's candidate, outgoing Senate President Larcher; a centrist, Valerie Letard, received 29 votes.[2]

References
  1. "Séance du 1er octobre 2008 (compte rendu intégral des débats)", Senate website (in French).
  2. Fabio Benedetti-Valentini, "French Senate Elects Jean-Pierre Bel First Socialist President", Bloomberg, 2 October 2011.


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