Jean-Pierre Bel facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Jean-Pierre Bel
Bel in 2011
President of the French Senate
In office 1 October 2011 – 30 September 2014
Preceded by	Gérard Larcher
Succeeded by	Gérard Larcher
Leader of the Opposition in the Senate
In office 1 October 2004 – 30 September 2011
Preceded by	Claude Estier
Succeeded by	Jean-Claude Gaudin
Senator for Ariège
In office 1 October 1998 – 30 September 2014
Preceded by	Germain Authié
Succeeded by	Alain Duran
Personal details
Born	(1951-12-30) 30 December 1951 (age 73) Lavaur, France
Political party	Socialist Party
Alma mater	Toulouse 1 University Capitole
Profession	Jurist

Jean-Pierre Bel is a French politician who was born on December 30, 1951. He is known for serving as the President of the French Senate from 2011 to 2014. The Senate is like one of the two main parts of the French government that makes laws. He was a member of the Socialist Party, which is a major political group in France.

Jean-Pierre Bel's Early Career

Jean-Pierre Bel comes from the Ariège area in France. He became a Senator in September 1998. A Senator is a person elected to represent their region in the Senate. He was re-elected in September 2008, showing that people in his area trusted him to represent them.

Leading the Socialist Group

From 2004 to 2011, Jean-Pierre Bel was the leader of the Socialist Group in the Senate. A "group" in politics means a collection of politicians who belong to the same political party. As their leader, he helped guide the Socialist Party's actions and ideas within the Senate.

Becoming President of the Senate

The President of the Senate is a very important role. This person leads the meetings and represents the entire Senate.

The 2008 Senate Election

In September 2008, there was an election for the Senate. After this election, Jean-Pierre Bel wanted to become the President of the Senate. However, the other main political group, called the "right," had more members in the Senate. Because of this, Jean-Pierre Bel was not elected. He received 134 votes, but Gérard Larcher, who was from the "right" group, received 173 votes and won.

The 2011 Senate Election

Things changed in the September 2011 Senate election. This time, the "left" political groups, including the Socialist Party, won more seats in the Senate. This meant they had the most members.

Because the "left" now had the majority, Jean-Pierre Bel was elected as the President of the Senate on October 1, 2011. He received 179 votes. The previous President, Gérard Larcher, received 134 votes. Another candidate received 29 votes. Jean-Pierre Bel was the only President of the Senate from a non-right-wing party in the Fifth Republic. The Fifth Republic is the name for France's current system of government, which started in 1958.

Retirement from Politics

Jean-Pierre Bel served as President of the Senate until September 30, 2014. After his term ended, he retired from politics.

References

• Page on the Senate website

See also

In Spanish: Jean-Pierre Bel para niños