Jean-Claude Gaudin

Jean-Claude Gaudin (born 8 October 1939) is a French politician for The Republicans. He served as the Mayor of Marseille from 1995 to 2020.

He was a member of the National Assembly of France from Bouches-du-Rhône from 1978 to 1989 and has been a member of the French Senate from 1989 to 1995 and again from 1998. From 1995 to 1997, he served as Minister of Territorial Development in Alain Juppé's Second Cabinet.

He served as Vice-President of the Senate from 1998 to 2011; as Vice-President of UMP 2002–2007 and as one of several Vice-Presidents for UMP 2013–2014.

Jean-Claude Gaudin was born on 8 October 1939 in Mazargues, a neighbourhood of the 9th arrondissement in Marseille, Bouches-du-Rhône, France. His ancestors lived in Mazargues since 1600. His father was a mason and his mother, as an espadrille-maker. They entertained author and playwright Marcel Pagnol (1895-1974), actress Alida Rouffe (1874-1939), and actor Raimu (1883-1946). They also had a small house at the Calanque de Sormiou, where they spent their summers.

In 1965, he was enrolled in the military service where he served briefly. Upon graduation from university, he became a teacher of history and geography for fifteen years at Saint-Joseph high school in Marseille. He was elected on the list of centrist and socialist politicians known as the “Removes iron-Rastoin” against the Gaullist party Union for the New Republic (UNR). He was subsequently elected in a local election and became one of the youngest members of the town council of Marseille. He was re-elected again in 1971.

In 1974, he took part in the presidential campaign of Valéry Giscard d'Estaing. In 1978, he won his first election for the French National Assembly as the candidate in the 2nd district of the Rhône delta. He beat the outgoing socialist deputy, Charles-Emile Loo, with 53.7% of the votes cast. In June 1981, he won reelection. He then became president of the Union for French Democracy (UDF) group to the French National Assembly.