Marie-George Buffet
Encyclopedia
Marie-George Buffet is a French
politician. She was the head of the French Communist Party
(PCF) from 2001 to 2010. She joined the Party in 1969, and was the Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports
from June 4, 1997 to May 5, 2002. Ms. Buffet was re-elected on June 16, 2002 to another five-year term in the National Assembly, as a representative of Seine-Saint-Denis
.
Her father Paul Kosellek is of Polish
descent.
Buffet was elected in 2001 as National Secretary of the Party, succeeding Robert Hue
, who assumed the newly-created presidency of the party. When Hue resigned after his poor score in the 2002 presidential elections, the post of president was removed, leaving Buffet as sole leader of the Party.
As head of the French Communist Party, Buffet speaks regularly on a variety of topics relating to the plight of the working people. Most of Buffet's speeches tend to focus upon practical implementations of the taxpayer's duty to provide for workers. In one recent speech, Buffet exclaimed that what the working class
needed was for the taxpayers to pay higher prices for manufactured goods or to send industry abroad so that workers might get free housing from the government.
Other issues that Buffet is interested in and has spoken on are the Bolkestein Directive
(a free trade
directive issued by the European Union
), energy initiatives, and ideological issues linked with stopping privatization and aiding the lower classes or working people. As a member of the French National Parliament
, Buffet has begun to recognize the need to organize with the Communist and Socialist parties of other states within the EU.
This can be seen in the Marie-George Buffet Statement, which came out in June 2005. It constitutes a comment on the aftermath of the referendum
on the establishment of further free trade rulings inside the European Union, one which was rejected by the entirety of the Left
. Buffet sees this French Communist victory as a victory for communists across Europe. She remarked:
In 2009, she condemned as "irresponsible" and "criminal" statements by Pope Benedict XVI which claimed that condoms promote AIDS, although they in fact help prevent it.
left", in an attempt to reconcile the PCF, the rest of the radical left
, and anti-globalization
militants, by the nomination of a common candidate for the 2007 French presidential election
. As Buffet was voted as candidate by most members of the rally, several other participants fell out, denouncing the Communist Party's influence, effectively crippling the "anti-liberal left" and leaving Buffet as candidate for the sole PCF. Buffet had to compete with the radical-left candidacies of Olivier Besancenot
, José Bové
and Arlette Laguiller
. She ended up receiving 1.93% of the popular vote (707,268 votes), the lowest result ever for a Communist presidential candidate in France.
Minister of Youth and Sports : 1997-2002.
Electoral mandates
National Assembly of France
Member of the National Assembly of France for Seine-Saint-Denis
: Elected in 1997, but she became minister in June / And since 2002. Elected in 1997, reelected in 2002, 2007.
Regional Council
Regional councillor of Ile-de-France
: 1998-2002 (Resignation).
Municipal Council
Deputy-mayor of Chatenay-Malabry
: 1977-1983.
Municipal councillor of Le Blanc-Mesnil
: Since 2001. Reelected in 2008.
Political functions
National Secretary (Leader) of the French Communist Party
: 2001-2010.
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
politician. She was the head of the French Communist Party
French Communist Party
The French Communist Party is a political party in France which advocates the principles of communism.Although its electoral support has declined in recent decades, the PCF retains a large membership, behind only that of the Union for a Popular Movement , and considerable influence in French...
(PCF) from 2001 to 2010. She joined the Party in 1969, and was the Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports
Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports (France)
The Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports is, in the Government of France, the cabinet member in charge of national and public sport associations, youth affairs, public sports centers and national stadia...
from June 4, 1997 to May 5, 2002. Ms. Buffet was re-elected on June 16, 2002 to another five-year term in the National Assembly, as a representative of Seine-Saint-Denis
Seine-Saint-Denis
- Culture :A number of hip hop artists come from the Seine-Saint-Denis, including one of the first major hip-hop groups in France, NTM, as well as Lord Kossity, or more recent acts such as Tandem or Sefyu.- Miscellaneous topics :...
.
Her father Paul Kosellek is of Polish
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
descent.
Buffet was elected in 2001 as National Secretary of the Party, succeeding Robert Hue
Robert Hue
Robert Hue, in full Robert Georges Auguste Hue , is a French politician who was National Secretary of the French Communist Party from 1994 to 2001 and President of the PCF from 2001 to 2002...
, who assumed the newly-created presidency of the party. When Hue resigned after his poor score in the 2002 presidential elections, the post of president was removed, leaving Buffet as sole leader of the Party.
As head of the French Communist Party, Buffet speaks regularly on a variety of topics relating to the plight of the working people. Most of Buffet's speeches tend to focus upon practical implementations of the taxpayer's duty to provide for workers. In one recent speech, Buffet exclaimed that what the working class
Working class
Working class is a term used in the social sciences and in ordinary conversation to describe those employed in lower tier jobs , often extending to those in unemployment or otherwise possessing below-average incomes...
needed was for the taxpayers to pay higher prices for manufactured goods or to send industry abroad so that workers might get free housing from the government.
Other issues that Buffet is interested in and has spoken on are the Bolkestein Directive
Directive on services in the internal market
The Directive on services in the internal market is an EU law aiming at establishing a single market for services within the European Union . Drafted under the leadership of the former European Commissioner for the Internal Market Frits Bolkestein, it has been popularly referred to by his name...
(a free trade
Free trade
Under a free trade policy, prices emerge from supply and demand, and are the sole determinant of resource allocation. 'Free' trade differs from other forms of trade policy where the allocation of goods and services among trading countries are determined by price strategies that may differ from...
directive issued by the European Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
), energy initiatives, and ideological issues linked with stopping privatization and aiding the lower classes or working people. As a member of the French National Parliament
Government of France
The government of the French Republic is a semi-presidential system determined by the French Constitution of the fifth Republic. The nation declares itself to be an "indivisible, secular, democratic, and social Republic"...
, Buffet has begun to recognize the need to organize with the Communist and Socialist parties of other states within the EU.
This can be seen in the Marie-George Buffet Statement, which came out in June 2005. It constitutes a comment on the aftermath of the referendum
French referendum on the European Constitution
The French referendum on the Treaty establishing a Constitution for Europe was held on 29 May 2005 to decide whether France should ratify the proposed Constitution of the European Union...
on the establishment of further free trade rulings inside the European Union, one which was rejected by the entirety of the Left
Left-wing politics
In politics, Left, left-wing and leftist generally refer to support for social change to create a more egalitarian society...
. Buffet sees this French Communist victory as a victory for communists across Europe. She remarked:
- I invite from the bottom of my heart men and women and organizations of the left, even those who might have voted "yes", to take your place, to participate with us in this noble adventure to construct another Europe, a genuine left wing alternative.
In 2009, she condemned as "irresponsible" and "criminal" statements by Pope Benedict XVI which claimed that condoms promote AIDS, although they in fact help prevent it.
2007 presidential bid
In 2006, Buffet took part in a "rally of the anti-liberalFree market
A free market is a competitive market where prices are determined by supply and demand. However, the term is also commonly used for markets in which economic intervention and regulation by the state is limited to tax collection, and enforcement of private ownership and contracts...
left", in an attempt to reconcile the PCF, the rest of the radical left
Far left
Far left, also known as the revolutionary left, radical left and extreme left are terms which refer to the highest degree of leftist positions among left-wing politics...
, and anti-globalization
Globalization
Globalization refers to the increasingly global relationships of culture, people and economic activity. Most often, it refers to economics: the global distribution of the production of goods and services, through reduction of barriers to international trade such as tariffs, export fees, and import...
militants, by the nomination of a common candidate for the 2007 French presidential election
French presidential election, 2007
The 2007 French presidential election, the ninth of the Fifth French Republic was held to elect the successor to Jacques Chirac as president of France for a five-year term.The winner, decided on 5 and 6 May 2007, was Nicolas Sarkozy...
. As Buffet was voted as candidate by most members of the rally, several other participants fell out, denouncing the Communist Party's influence, effectively crippling the "anti-liberal left" and leaving Buffet as candidate for the sole PCF. Buffet had to compete with the radical-left candidacies of Olivier Besancenot
Olivier Besancenot
Olivier Besancenot is a French far left political figure and trade unionist, and the founding main spokesperson of the New Anticapitalist Party from 2009 to 2011....
, José Bové
José Bové
Joseph Bové is a French farmer and syndicalist, member of the alter-globalization movement, and spokesman for Via Campesina. He was one of the twelve official candidates in the 2007 French presidential election...
and Arlette Laguiller
Arlette Laguiller
Arlette Yvonne Laguiller is a French Trotskyist politician. Since 1973, she has been the spokeswoman and the best known leader and perennial candidate of the Lutte Ouvrière political party...
. She ended up receiving 1.93% of the popular vote (707,268 votes), the lowest result ever for a Communist presidential candidate in France.
Political career
Governmental functionMinister of Youth and Sports : 1997-2002.
Electoral mandates
National Assembly of France
Member of the National Assembly of France for Seine-Saint-Denis
Seine-Saint-Denis
- Culture :A number of hip hop artists come from the Seine-Saint-Denis, including one of the first major hip-hop groups in France, NTM, as well as Lord Kossity, or more recent acts such as Tandem or Sefyu.- Miscellaneous topics :...
: Elected in 1997, but she became minister in June / And since 2002. Elected in 1997, reelected in 2002, 2007.
Regional Council
Regional councillor of Ile-de-France
Île-de-France (région)
Île-de-France is the wealthiest and most populated of the twenty-two administrative regions of France, composed mostly of the Paris metropolitan area....
: 1998-2002 (Resignation).
Municipal Council
Deputy-mayor of Chatenay-Malabry
Châtenay-Malabry
Châtenay-Malabry is a commune in the southwestern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located 10.8 km from the center of Paris.The commune includes the valley la vallée aux loups with green forests and pretty houses including the estate of French writer Chateaubriand. It also includes the Butte...
: 1977-1983.
Municipal councillor of Le Blanc-Mesnil
Le Blanc-Mesnil
Le Blanc-Mesnil is a commune in the northeastern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the center of Paris, between Charles de Gaulle International Airport and le Bourget Airport.-Name:...
: Since 2001. Reelected in 2008.
Political functions
National Secretary (Leader) of the French Communist Party
French Communist Party
The French Communist Party is a political party in France which advocates the principles of communism.Although its electoral support has declined in recent decades, the PCF retains a large membership, behind only that of the Union for a Popular Movement , and considerable influence in French...
: 2001-2010.