1. Jean-Claude Gaudin served as the Mayor of Marseille from 1995 to 2020.
22 Facts About Jean-Claude Gaudin
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Jean-Claude Gaudin was born on 8 October 1939 in Mazargues, a neighbourhood of the 9th arrondissement in Marseille, Bouches-du-Rhone, France.
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Jean-Claude Gaudin's father was a mason and his mother was an espadrille-maker.
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Jean-Claude Gaudin was elected on the list of centrist and socialist politicians led by Gaston Defferre against the Gaullist party Union for the New Republic.
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Jean-Claude Gaudin was elected in a local election and became one of the youngest members on the Marseille city council.
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Jean-Claude Gaudin then became president of the Union for French Democracy group in the National Assembly.
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In 1992, Jean-Claude Gaudin carried the vote again, beating Bernard Tapie and Jean-Marie Le Pen.
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Jean-Claude Gaudin was re-elected president of the regional council of Provence-Alpes-Cote-d'Azur on 27 March 1992.
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In 1983, Jean-Claude Gaudin tried to unseat Gaston Defferre as Mayor of Marseille, and lost by a handful of votes.
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In 1995, Jean-Claude Gaudin stood for the post of Mayor along with maintaining his position as a senator.
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Jean-Claude Gaudin won with an absolute majority of 55 City councilmen out of 101 and was installed as Mayor of Marseille on 25 June 1995.
12.
From June 1995 to September 1996, Jean-Claude Gaudin was president of football club Olympique de Marseille.
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Jean-Claude Gaudin was re-elected Mayor of Marseille again on 25 March 2001 as well as 16 March 2008, and president of the Urban Community of Marseille Provence Metropole on 11 April.
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On 3 October 2001, Jean-Claude Gaudin was re-elected as Vice-President of the Senate for a second time.
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In 2004, Jean-Claude Gaudin was interim president of the UMP after Alain Juppe stepped down and before Nicolas Sarkozy was elected.
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Jean-Claude Gaudin was interim president again in 2007 after Nicolas Sarkozy stepped down, alongside Pierre Mehaignerie and Brice Hortefeux.
17.
In May 2020, during the Covid-19 pandemic, Jean-Claude Gaudin announced ordering 1.5 million face masks for residents of Marseille, and advocated a policy of voluntary screening.
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On 11 July 1997, Jean-Claude Gaudin was made Knight of the Legion of Honour, with which he was formally decorated on 14 October.
19.
Jean-Claude Gaudin was promoted to Officer on 14 July 2018.
20.
On 26 September 2016, Jean-Claude Gaudin was awarded the Plaque rank of the Order of the Aztec Eagle by the president of Mexico, Enrique Pena Nieto.
21.
Jean-Claude Gaudin lived in a rented apartment in Neuilly-sur-Seine during the week and spent his weekends in a mansion in Saint-Zacharie.
22.
Jean-Claude Gaudin died at his residence in Saint-Zacharie on 20 May 2024, at the age of 84.