1. Gaston Flosse was born on 24 June 1931 and is a French Polynesian politician who has been President of French Polynesia on five separate occasions.
16 Facts About Gaston Flosse
1. 2.
Gaston Flosse is currently a member of the Senate of France and has been a French junior minister under Jacques Chirac.
3.
Gaston Flosse received sentences for corruption, which are under appeal.
4.
Gaston Flosse was the vice-president of the government council from 1982 to 1984, when more autonomy was gained and he became President of the Governing Council.
5.
Gaston Flosse held that position from 1984 to 1987 and from 1991 to 2004.
6.
On 27 February 2004 French Polynesian autonomy was again increased, and Gaston Flosse became President of French Polynesia.
7.
On 13 February 2005 Gaston Flosse's party lost the parliamentary by-elections, which had been called as a compromise after pressure from Temaru's supporters.
8.
On 15 February 2005 Gaston Flosse lost the presidency again in a parliamentary confidence vote, and on 3 March 2005 Temaru took over.
9.
Gaston Flosse was first elected to the Senate of France on 1 October 1998.
10.
Gaston Flosse was able to govern French Polynesia with the support of centrist parties and groupings.
11.
On 21 June 2006 Gaston Flosse was convicted of corruption and given a three-month suspended sentence.
12.
Gaston Flosse continued to be a member of the territorial assembly and French Senate.
13.
Gaston Flosse's party came third in the February 2008 legislative assembly elections, but with the support of Oscar Temaru and his UPLD party, which came second, Gaston Flosse became President of French Polynesia again on 23 February 2008.
14.
Gaston Flosse was replaced by Gaston Tong Sang after losing a vote of confidence on 15 April 2008, however.
15.
Gaston Flosse was re-elected to the French Senate in the September 2008 Senate election.
16.
In January 2022 Gaston Flosse declared his support for independence for French Polynesia, saying that autonomy within France had worked as long as Jacques Chirac was French president and had since been eroded.