André Santini (; born 20 October 1940) is a French politician and current

mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a Municipal corporation, 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 responsibilitie ...

Issy-les-Moulineaux Issy-les-Moulineaux () is a commune in the southwestern suburban area of Paris, France, lying on the left bank of the river Seine. Its citizens are called in French. It is one of Paris's entrances and is located from Notre Dame Cathedral, whic ...

Hauts-de-Seine Hauts-de-Seine (; ) is a department in the Île-de-France region of France. It covers Paris's western inner suburbs. It is bordered by Paris, Seine-Saint-Denis and Val-de-Marne to the east, Val-d'Oise to the north, Yvelines to the west and ...

. A former member of the UDF, he did not support

François Bayrou François René Jean Lucien Bayrou (; born 25 May 1951) is a French politician who has served as Prime Minister of France since December 2024. He has presided over the European Democratic Party (EDP) since 2004 and the Democratic Movement (France ...

, the candidate of his party for the first round of the

2007 French presidential election Presidential elections were held in France on 21 and 22 April 2007 to elect the successor to Jacques Chirac as president of France (and ''ex officio'' Co-Prince of Andorra) for a five-year term. As no candidate received a majority of the vot ...

, choosing instead to support

Nicolas Sarkozy Nicolas Paul Stéphane Sarközy de Nagy-Bocsa ( ; ; born 28 January 1955) is a French politician who served as President of France from 2007 to 2012. In 2021, he was found guilty of having tried to bribe a judge in 2014 to obtain information ...

of the

Union for a Popular Movement The Union for a Popular Movement ( ; UMP ) was a Liberal conservatism, liberal-conservative List of political parties in France, political party in France, largely inspired by the Gaullism, Gaullist tradition. During its existence, the UMP was o ...

. After the election, he joined the new right-of-center party known as the

New Centre The Centrists (, , ), known as The Centrists – New Centre ( , ) since 2018, formerly known as New Centre (, ) and European Social Liberal Party ( , ), is a centre-right political party in France formed by the members of the Union for French Dem ...

(with other former UDF members who supported Nicolas Sarkozy) in 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 repr ...

, where he had been re-elected during the June 2007 elections. He was nominated as Secretary of State for the Civil Service by

François Fillon François Charles Amand Fillon (; born 4 March 1954) is a French retired politician who served as Prime Minister of France from 2007 to 2012 under President Nicolas Sarkozy. He was the nominee of The Republicans (previously known as the Union ...

in June 2007. Fillon thus broke with the misnamed " Balladur jurisprudence" according to which an indicted minister was to resign from his ministerial functions. Santini had been indicted, along with

Charles Pasqua Charles Victor Pasqua (18 April 192729 June 2015) was a French businessman and Gaullist politician. He was Interior Minister from 1986 to 1988, under Jacques Chirac's ''cohabitation'' government, and also from 1993 to 1995, under the government ...

, for corruption concerning the creation of the art foundation '' Hamon''. Santini's indictment in the ''Fondation Hamon'' affair was confirmed in September 2007 and in February 2008. He was acquitted on appeal on 23 September 2015 by the Versailles Court of Appeals.Santini relaxé dans l’affaire de la Fondation Hamon, ''Le Monde'', 23 september 2015
/ref> He speaks fluent English and is the nephew of neurosurgeon and general Valérie André.

Political career

Governmental functions Secretary of State for Public Service: 2007–2009. Secretary of State for Consumer Affairs: 1987–1988. Secretary of State for Returnees: 1986–1987. Electoral mandates ''National Assembly of France'' Vice-president of the

National Assembly of France The National Assembly (, ) is the lower house of the Bicameralism, bicameral French Parliament under the French Fifth Republic, Fifth Republic, the upper house being the Senate (France), Senate (). The National Assembly's legislators are known ...

: 1997–1998 Member of the

for

: 1988–2001 (Resignation) / 2002–2007 (Became Secretary of State in 2007) / And since 2009. Elected in 1988, reelected in 1993, 1997, 2002, 2007, 2012. ''General Council'' Vice-president of the General council of

: 2001–2002 (Resignation). General councillor of

: 2001–2002 (Resignation). ''Municipal Council'' Mayor of

: Since 1980. Reelected in 1983, 1989, 1995, 2001, 2008. Municipal councillor of

: Since 1980. Reelected in 1983, 1989, 1995, 2001, 2008. Deputy-mayor of

Courbevoie Courbevoie () is a Communes of France, commune located in the Hauts-de-Seine department of the Île-de-France region of France. It is a suburb of Paris, from the Kilometre zero, center of Paris. The centre of Courbevoie is situated from the ci ...

: 1971–1977 Municipal councillor of

: 1971–1977 ''Agglomeration community Council'' President of the Agglomeration community of Arc de Seine: Since 2004. Reelected in 2008. Member of the Agglomeration community of Arc de Seine: Since 2004. Reelected in 2008.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Santini, Andre 1940 births Living people Politicians from Paris French people of Corsican descent Union for French Democracy politicians Social Democratic Party (France) politicians The Centrists politicians Democratic European Force politicians Civil service ministers of France Lycée Pasteur (Neuilly-sur-Seine) alumni Sciences Po alumni Deputies of the 12th National Assembly of the French Fifth Republic Deputies of the 13th National Assembly of the French Fifth Republic Deputies of the 14th National Assembly of the French Fifth Republic Union of Democrats and Independents politicians Mayors of places in Île-de-France