Damien Alary
{{Short description|French politician}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name = Damien Alary
| office3 = Vice-president of the Regional Council of Languedoc-Roussillon
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1951|01|17}}
| successor5 = Claude Reynard
| predecessor5 = Marcel Valat
| termend5 = 5 March 1999
| termstart5 = 3 February 1979
| office5 = Mayor of Pompignan
| successor4 = William Dumas
| predecessor4 = Alain Journet
| termend4 = 29 September 2014
| termstart4 = 23 March 2001
| office4 = Chairman of the Departmental Council of Gard
| president3 = Georges Frêche
| termend3 = 24 October 2010
| termstart3 = 28 March 2004
| successor2 = Carole Delga
| native_name = Damien Joseph Marius Alary
| president = Carole Delga
| native_name_lang = fr
| image = Damien Alary.jpg
| caption = Damien Alary in 2009
| office = Vice-President of the Regional Council of Occitania
| termstart = 4 January 2016
| termend = 2 July 2021
| office1 = Regional Councilor of Occitania
| predecessor2 = Christian Bourquin
| termstart1 = 13 December 2015
| termend1 = 2 July 2021
| president1 = Carole Delga
| office2 = President of the Regional Council of Languedoc-Roussillon
| termstart2 = 29 September 2014
| termend2 = 31 December 2015
| birth_place = Pompignan, Gard
| party = {{Unbulleted list
|PS (1976-2010)
|DVG (2010)
|PS (since 2010)}}
| nationality = French
}}
Damien Alary ({{IPA|fr|damjɛ̃ alaʁi}}; born January 17, 1951, in Pompignan) is a French politician and a member of the Socialist Party.
He was the chairman of the Departmental Council of Gard from 2001 to 2014, then briefly President of the regional council of Languedoc-Roussillon from 2014 to 2015.
Biography
= Political career =
He joined the Socialist Party in 1977 after a meeting with Michel Rocard.{{Cite web|date=2014-10-23|title=Damien Alary, défenseur du Languedoc-Roussillon|url=https://www.lesechos.fr/2014/10/damien-alary-defenseur-du-languedoc-roussillon-295713|access-date=2021-08-12|website=Les Echos|language=fr}}{{Cite web|title=LesBiographies.com|url=https://www.lesbiographies.com/Mobile/|access-date=2021-08-12|website=www.lesbiographies.com}}
In 1979, he was elected mayor of Pompignan;{{Cite web|last=AFP|title=Damien Alary élu à la présidence de la région Languedoc-Roussillon|url=https://www.liberation.fr/france/2014/09/29/damien-alary-elu-a-la-presidence-de-la-region-languedoc-roussillon_1110937/|access-date=2021-08-12|website=Libération|language=fr}} in 1986, regional councilor of Languedoc-Roussillon,{{Cite web|title=Damien Alary nouveau président de la Région Languedoc-Roussillon|url=https://www.ladepeche.fr/article/2014/09/30/1961689-damien-alary-nouveau-president-de-la-region.html|access-date=2021-08-12|website=ladepeche.fr|language=fr}} and in 1988, general councilor of the canton of Saint-Hippolyte-du-Fort.{{Cite web|title=Damien Alary est officiellement candidat à la présidence du Languedoc-Roussillon|url=https://france3-regions.francetvinfo.fr/occitanie/herault/montpellier-metropole/montpellier/damien-alary-est-officiellement-candidat-presidence-du-languedoc-roussillon-543580.html|access-date=2021-08-12|website=France 3 Occitanie|language=fr-FR}}
He was elected in Gard's 5th constituency in 1997{{Cite web|title=Résultats des élections législatives de 1997 dans la 5e circonscription du Gard - Politiquemania|url=https://www.politiquemania.com/legislatives-1997-circonscription-gard-5.html|access-date=2021-08-12|website=www.politiquemania.com}} and re-elected in 2002,{{Cite web|title=Résultats des élections législatives de 2002 dans la 5e circonscription du Gard - Politiquemania|url=https://www.politiquemania.com/legislatives-2002-circonscription-gard-5.html|access-date=2021-08-12|website=www.politiquemania.com}} from the Socialist Group.
After having chaired the socialist group, under the presidency of Alain Journet, within the general council of Gard from 1998 to 2001, he was elected president in 2001.
In 2004, he was elected first vice-president of the Regional Council. After the regional elections of 2004, he resigned because of multiple mandates.{{Cite web|last=Gasquez|first=Antoine|date=2014-09-29|title=Région LR : Damien Alary élu président à la majorité absolue|url=https://www.lasemaineduroussillon.com/2014/09/29/region-lr-damien-alary-elu-president-a-la-majorite-absolue/|access-date=2021-08-12|website=La Semaine du Roussillon|language=fr-FR}}
On February 23, 2010, he was excluded from the Socialist Party following his rallying to the list led by Georges Frêche against that of the PS.{{Cite web|title=LANGUEDOC ROUSSILLON - Damien ALARY nouveau Président de Région|url=https://www.herault-tribune.com/articles/languedoc-roussillon-damien-alary-nouveau-president-de-region/|url-status=live|access-date=2021-08-12|website=herault-tribune.com|language=fr|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210517040219/https://www.herault-tribune.com/articles/languedoc-roussillon-damien-alary-nouveau-president-de-region/ |archive-date=2021-05-17 }}
On October 28, 2010, after the death of Georges Frêche, the group of socialists excluded and related to the Regional Council elects its candidate for the presidency of the Languedoc-Roussillon region. Damien Alary lost against Christian Bourquin by 13 votes against 18 in secret ballots. The following November 10, Christian Bourquin was elected president of the regional council, and Robert Navarro replaced Damien Alary from the post of first vice-president he had held since 2004. Damien Alary then asked for his reinstatement in the PS, which he then obtained.
Suffering from cancer in the vocal cords, which he revealed himself in 2011, Damien Alary retained all of his elected functions and mandates. In January 2012, he affirmed “[to be] still good for the service” and “intact in [his] commitment”.{{Cite web|date=2014-09-05|title=Damien Alary, un homme en bonne santé pour la présidence de la région Languedoc-Roussillon|url=https://www.francebleu.fr/infos/politique/damien-alary-un-homme-en-bonne-sante-pour-la-presidence-de-la-region-languedoc-roussillon-1409935630|access-date=2021-08-12|website=France Bleu|language=fr}}
After considering a candidacy for the 2014 municipal elections in Nîmes,{{Cite web|title=Gard : Damien Alary bientôt candidat aux municipales de Nîmes|url=https://www.midilibre.fr/2013/02/09/ps-les-grandes-manoeuvres-nimoises-ont-commence-pour-le-futur-candidat-alary,641381.php|access-date=2021-08-12|website=midilibre.fr|language=fr}} Damien Alary announced his resignation on September 10, 2013.{{Cite web|date=2013-09-10|title=MUNICIPALES 2014. Damien Alary renonce à la mairie de Nîmes !|url=https://www.objectifgard.com/2013/09/10/municipales-2014-damien-alary-renonce-a-la-mairie-de-nimes/|access-date=2021-08-12|website=Objectif Gard|language=fr-FR}}
After the death of Christian Bourquin, on August 26, 2014, Damien Alary announced his candidacy for the presidency of the Regional Council of Languedoc-Roussillon.{{Cite web|date=2014-09-03|title=LANGUEDOC-ROUSSILLON Damien Alary est officiellement candidat pour la présidence de la région|url=https://www.objectifgard.com/2014/09/03/languedoc-roussillon-damien-alary-est-officiellement-candidat-pour-la-presidence-de-la-region/|access-date=2021-08-12|website=Objectif Gard|language=fr-FR}}{{Cite web|title=Damien Alary élu président du conseil régional du Languedoc-Roussillon|url=https://www.ladepeche.fr/article/2014/09/29/1961530-damien-alary-elu-president-du-conseil-regional-du-languedoc-roussillon.html|access-date=2021-08-12|website=ladepeche.fr|language=fr}} He was elected by the regional council on September 29.{{Cite web|title=Damien Alary élu nouveau Président de la Région Languedoc-Roussillon - News - Actualités|url=https://www.polemermediterranee.com/Actualites/News/Damien-Alary-elu-nouveau-President-de-la-Region-Languedoc-Roussillon|access-date=2021-08-12|website=www.polemermediterranee.com}}
In September 2015, it took the position, with Jean-Claude Gayssot, for the implementation of a European policy for welcoming “Mediterranean refugees”.{{Cite web|last=Colmon|first=Mylene|title=Damien Alary pour la mise en oeuvre d'une politique européenne d'accueil des réfugiés méditerranéens|url=http://archive.wikiwix.com/cache/index2.php?url=http://www.toutmontpellier.fr/damien-alary-pour-la-mise-en-oeuvre-d-une-politique-europeenne-d-accueil-des-refugies-mediterraneens--133927.html|access-date=2021-08-12|website=archive.wikiwix.com|language=fr-FR}} On October 7, 2015, he succeeded Francina Armengol as the president of the Pyrenees-Mediterranean Euroregion.{{Cite web|date=2015-10-07|title=LANGUEDOC-ROUSSILLON Damien Alary est le nouveau président de l’Eurorégion Pyrénées-Méditerranée|url=https://www.objectifgard.com/2015/10/07/languedoc-roussillon-damien-alary-est-le-nouveau-president-de-leuroregion-pyrenees-mediterranee/|access-date=2021-08-12|website=Objectif Gard|language=fr-FR}}{{Cite web|title=Damien Alary (encore) président|url=https://www.lindependant.fr/2015/10/07/damien-alary-encore-president,2094871.php|access-date=2021-08-12|website=lindependant.fr|language=fr}}
During the 2015 regional election in Languedoc-Roussillon-Midi-Pyrénées, head of the PS list in Gard, he announced that he was leading his "last political fight".{{Cite web|date=2015-10-22|title=RÉGIONALES Le PS-PRG du Gard derrière Alary pour son dernier combat|url=https://www.objectifgard.com/2015/10/22/regionales-le-ps-prg-du-gard-derriere-alary-pour-son-dernier-combat/|access-date=2021-08-12|website=Objectif Gard|language=fr-FR}}{{Cite web|title=6 élus du Languedoc-Roussillon obtiennent une vice-présidence à la région|url=https://france3-regions.francetvinfo.fr/occitanie/herault/montpellier-metropole/montpellier/6-elus-du-languedoc-roussillon-obtiennent-vice-presidence-region-897049.html|access-date=2021-08-12|website=France 3 Occitanie|language=fr-FR}}
= Early life =
Coming from a family of Pompignan wine growers, he owned a vineyard and olive grove.{{Cite web|date=2003-04-03|title=Vie publique|url=https://www.lexpress.fr/informations/vie-publique_651132.html|access-date=2021-08-12|website=LExpress.fr|language=fr}} He is married and has a son, Yannick, born in 1976, who became a notary in Alès.
Distinctions
File:Legion Honneur Chevalier ribbon.svg
On June 3, 2010, Damien Alary received the Legion of Honour from Simone Veil at the Luxembourg Palace.
References
{{Reflist}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Alary, Damien}}
Category:Members of the Regional Council of Occitania (administrative region)
Category:Regional councillors of France