Franck Borotra (born 30 August 1937) is a French politician, member of the

Rally for the Republic The Rally for the Republic (french: Rassemblement pour la République ; RPR ), was a Gaullist and conservative political party in France. Originating from the Union of Democrats for the Republic (UDR), it was founded by Jacques Chirac in 1976 a ...

party. He was the

Minister of Posts, Telegraphs, and Telephones The Minister of Posts and Telegraphs, to which was later added the charge of Telephones (the position was later named "Minister of Posts and Telecommunications"), was, in the Government of France, the cabinet member in charge of the French Posta ...

from 7 November 1995 to 2 June 1997 under the government of Prime Minister

Alain Juppé Alain Marie Juppé (; born 15 August 1945) is a French politician. A member of The Republicans, he was Prime Minister of France from 1995 to 1997 under President Jacques Chirac, during which period he faced major strikes that paralysed the coun ...

and was a member of the

National Assembly In politics, a national assembly is either a unicameral legislature, the lower house of a bicameral legislature, or both houses of a bicameral legislature together. In the English language it generally means "an assembly composed of the repre ...

from 1986 to 2002. He also served as President of the Departmental Council of

Yvelines Yvelines () is a department in the western part of the Île-de-France region in Northern France. In 2019, it had a population of 1,448,207.Deputy Mayor The deputy mayor (also known as vice mayor, assistant mayor, or mayor ''pro tem'') is an elective or appointive office of the second-ranking official that is present in many, but not all, local governments. Duties and functions Many elected dep ...

of the city of

Versailles The Palace of Versailles ( ; french: Château de Versailles ) is a former royal residence built by King Louis XIV located in Versailles, about west of Paris, France. The palace is owned by the French Republic and since 1995 has been managed, u ...

. Despite his long career in local and national politics, Borotra is little known among the French public.

Early life and family

Borotra was born on 30 August 1937 in

Nantes Nantes (, , ; Gallo: or ; ) is a city in Loire-Atlantique on the Loire, from the Atlantic coast. The city is the sixth largest in France, with a population of 314,138 in Nantes proper and a metropolitan area of nearly 1 million inhabita ...

, in the

Loire-Atlantique Loire-Atlantique (; br, Liger-Atlantel; before 1957: ''Loire-Inférieure'', br, Liger-Izelañ, link=no) is a department in Pays de la Loire on the west coast of France, named after the river Loire and the Atlantic Ocean. It had a population o ...

department on the west coast of France. He trained as an engineer. Before entering politics, he worked in an oil refinery in

Dunkirk Dunkirk (french: Dunkerque ; vls, label=French Flemish, Duunkerke; nl, Duinkerke(n) ; , ;) is a commune in the department of Nord in northern France.Charles de Gaulle Charles André Joseph Marie de Gaulle (; ; (commonly abbreviated as CDG) 22 November 18909 November 1970) was a French army officer and statesman who led Free France against Nazi Germany in World War II and chaired the Provisional Government ...

to the refinery that motivated him to join politics. He is the twin brother of

Didier Borotra Didier Borotra (born 30 August 1937) is a former member of the Senate of France, representing the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department from 1992 to 2011. He was re-elected in 2001 French Senate election, 2001 and did not stand in 2011 French Senat ...

, (

Democratic Movement A democracy is a political system, or a system of decision-making within an institution or organization or a country, in which all members have an equal share of power. Modern democracies are characterized by two capabilities that differentiate ...

- MoDem), former French senator and

mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well a ...

Biarritz Biarritz ( , , , ; Basque also ; oc, Biàrritz ) is a city on the Bay of Biscay, on the Atlantic coast in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department in the French Basque Country in southwestern France. It is located from the border with Spain. ...

. His is also the father of the French actress Claire Borotra and the nephew of the French tennis player and politician

Jean Borotra Jean Laurent Robert Borotra (, ; 13 August 1898 – 17 July 1994) was a French tennis champion. He was one of the "The Four Musketeers (tennis), Four Musketeers" from his country who dominated tennis in the late 1920s and early 1930s. Borotra wa ...

Political career

*Municipal council member: **1983 to 1995: Deputy mayor of

, in charge of external co-operation and sports *Departmental council member: **1988 to 2005: Departmental council member of

Vélizy-Villacoublay Vélizy-Villacoublay () is a commune in the Yvelines department in the Île-de-France in north-central France. It is located in the south-western suburbs of Paris from the center and east of Versailles. Its inhabitants are called Véliziens. ...

; **1994 to 2005: President of the departmental council of

Yvelines Yvelines () is a department in the western part of the Île-de-France region in Northern France. In 2019, it had a population of 1,448,207.National Assembly In politics, a national assembly is either a unicameral legislature, the lower house of a bicameral legislature, or both houses of a bicameral legislature together. In the English language it generally means "an assembly composed of the repre ...

: **2 April 1986 to 14 May 1988; **13 June 1988 to 1 April 1993; **2 avril 1993 to 4 December 1995: resignation 4 December 1995; **26 February 1996 (special elections) to 26 March 1996: abandoned duties to assume ministerial position; **1 June 1997 to 18 June 2002.

Retirement

In February 2002, Borotra announced, in a press release to his supporters, that he would not seek re-election in the 2002 legislative elections. Referring to his career as an engineer and then his engagement in politics, Borotra said in the press release, "I've already had two lives and I will have a third." In 2005, he gave up his last elected mandate as president of the departmental council of Yvelines. He has largely withdrawn from the public eye since leaving politics, only rarely appearing for public events.

References

External links

Official Biography on the website of the National Assembly of France
{{DEFAULTSORT:Borotra, Franck 1937 births Living people French Ministers of Posts, Telegraphs, and Telephones Politicians from Nantes French twins 20th-century French engineers