Paul Henri Marius Lombard (15 December 1927 – 7 June 2020) was a French politician.

Biography

Lombard was born in La Ciotat, but his family moved to Martigues when he was a few years old. His father, Paul-Baptistin Lombard, who took part in the

French Resistance The French Resistance (french: La Résistance) was a collection of organisations that fought the German occupation of France during World War II, Nazi occupation of France and the Collaborationism, collaborationist Vichy France, Vichy régim ...

, was shot and killed by the

Germans , native_name_lang = de , region1 = , pop1 = 72,650,269 , region2 = , pop2 = 534,000 , region3 = , pop3 = 157,000 3,322,405 , region4 = , pop4 = ...

on 13 June 1944. Lombard entered the municipal council of Martigues in 1953 following the resignation of his mother. That year, he led the

French Communist Party The French Communist Party (french: Parti communiste français, ''PCF'' ; ) is a political party in France which advocates the principles of communism. The PCF is a member of the Party of the European Left, and its MEPs sit in the European Unit ...

's (PCF) ticket against incumbent Mayor Paul Pascal of the

French Section of the Workers' International The French Section of the Workers' International (french: Section française de l'Internationale ouvrière, SFIO) was a political party in France that was founded in 1905 and succeeded in 1969 by the modern-day Socialist Party. The SFIO was found ...

. In 1959, Francis Turcan was elected mayor, and Lombard became his financial assistant. Then during the Turcan administration, Martigues began its modernization, moving on from its industrial past. After Turcan died in 1968, Lombard became Mayor of Martigues. He would be re-elected in 1971, 1977, 1983, 1989, 1989, 1995, 2001, and 2008, winning a majority in the first round every time. The city was heavily modernized, as it did not have a sewage system in 1959. The construction of the Martigues canal and the central water treatment plant were significant steps taken during the Lombard administration. Additionally, the construction of the Hôpital Rayettes, the Lycée

Jean Lurçat Jean Lurçat (; 1 July 1892 – 6 January 1966) was a French artist noted for his role in the revival of contemporary tapestry. Biography He was born in Bruyères, Vosges, the son of Lucien Jean Baptiste Lurçat and Marie Emilie Marguerite L ...

, and the highway to

Fos-sur-Mer Fos-sur-Mer (, literally ''Fos on Sea''; Provençal: ''Fòs'') is a commune in the Bouches-du-Rhône department in southern France. Geography Fos-sur-Mer is situated about north west of Marseille, on the Mediterranean coast, and to the west ...

and

Arles Arles (, , ; oc, label= Provençal, Arle ; Classical la, Arelate) is a coastal city and commune in the South of France, a subprefecture in the Bouches-du-Rhône department of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region, in the former province of ...

were completed in 1974. A new library was built in 1981 and a new town hall was constructed in 1983. In 1993, the ''Halle de Martigues'' was built, and, in 1995, the Théâte des Salins. Lombard was re-elected for the 7th time in 2008, but announced his departure in 2009, giving the reins to

Gaby Charroux Gaby Charroux (born 1942) is a French politician. Early life Gaby Charroux was born on 25 June 1942 in Algiers, French Algeria. Career Charroux was a schoolteacher. Charroux is a member of the French Communist Party. He served as Michel Vaxès' ...

. The transition of power took place on 29 May 2009 in front of 3000 people. However, Lombard would remain a municipal councillor. In 2011, he was made an Officer of the

Legion of Honour The National Order of the Legion of Honour (french: Ordre national de la Légion d'honneur), formerly the Royal Order of the Legion of Honour ('), is the highest French order of merit, both military and civil. Established in 1802 by Napoleon, ...

. Paul Lombard died on 7 June 2020 at the age of 92.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Lombard, Paul 1927 births 2020 deaths Mayors of places in Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur Members of the National Assembly (France) Officers of the Legion of Honour French Communist Party politicians 20th-century French politicians 21st-century French politicians People from La Ciotat People from Martigues