Jean Lassalle

Jean Lassalle (born 3 May 1955 in Lourdios-Ichère, Pyrénées-Atlantiques, France) is a French Occitan politician and UDF deputy in the National Assembly.

Political career

Lassalle has served as mayor of the commune of Lourdios-Ichère 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. cite web|url=http://www.assemblee-nationale.fr/12/tribun/fiches_id/1838.asp|title=Jean Lassalle|accessdate=14 April|accessyear=2006|publisher="Assemblée nationale"] 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. cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/2960868.stm|publisher=BBC News|title=Singing MP baffles Paris parliament|date=3 June 2003]

Hunger strike

Lassalle undertook a 39-day hunger strike in 2006, in protest at a threat to jobs in his constituency. Japanese 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. cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4909796.stm|publisher=BBC News|title= French MP hunger strike wins deal|date=14 April 2006]

Trivia

* His son Thibault Lassalle is a very promising rugby union footballer. He was a member of the French U19 team taking part in the 2006 U19 World Championships in Dubai in which France reached the semi-final.

References

External links

* [http://www.jean-lassalle.fr/ Official website] (in French)
* [http://www.jean-lassalle.fr/english.asp Official website] (in English; less information)
* [http://www.mountainpeople.org/en/actualites/agenda.php World Mountain People Association]