Ecologist group (Senate)

The number of senators of Europe Ecology – The Greens (EELV) increased from 4 to 10 following the 2011 renewal in which the left took control of the Senate for the first time in the history of the Fifth Republic. Fifteen senators were then required for the formation of a group in the Senate; the threshold was lowered to 10 as a result of an earlier agreement between EELV and the Socialist Party (PS).{{cite news|title=Pour la première fois de son histoire, le Sénat bascule à gauche|url=http://www.lemonde.fr/politique/article/2011/09/25/pour-la-premiere-fois-de-son-histoire-le-senat-bascule-a-gauche_1577644_823448.html|newspaper=Le Monde|date=25 September 2011|accessdate=14 July 2017}} The ecologist group was officially founded on 11 January 2012 after previously being attached to the socialist group, with Jean-Vincent Placé serving as its first president. After the appointment of Socialists Nicole Bricq and Hélène Conway-Mouret to the government, ecologists Hélène Lipietz and Kalliopi Ango Ela entered the Senate to become the 11th and 12th members of the group.{{cite web|title=Information sur la composition et les activités du Sénat au 31 décembre 2012|url=https://www.senat.fr/themas/infocompo_2012/infocompo_2012_mono.html|publisher=Sénat|accessdate=14 July 2017}} After the rout of the socialists in the 2014 municipal elections, Prime Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault presented the resignation of his government,{{cite news|title=Remaniement: démission d'Ayrault, Valls Premier ministre|url=http://www.lexpress.fr/actualite/politique/remaniement-francois-hollande-aurait-choisi-manuel-valls-pour-matignon_1504833.html|agency=Agence France-Presse|newspaper=L'Express|date=31 March 2014|accessdate=14 July 2017}} reducing the ecologist group to 10 deputies once more as Bricq and Conway-Mouret returned to their seats in the Senate.{{cite web|title=Informations sur la composition et les activités au 31 décembre 2014|url=https://www.senat.fr/themas/infocompo_2014/infocompo_2014_mono.html|publisher=Sénat|accessdate=14 July 2017}}

Placé remained president of the group until his appointment to the government,{{cite web|title=TABLE NOMINATIVE 2016 – DÉBATS DU SÉNAT|url=https://www.senat.fr/themas/nomina2016/place_jean_vincent11069t.rtf|publisher=Sénat|accessdate=14 July 2017}} with Corinne Bouchoux taking his place on 15 February 2016,{{cite web|title=TABLE NOMINATIVE 2016 – DÉBATS DU SÉNAT|url=https://www.senat.fr/themas/nomina2016/bouchoux_corinne11029k.rtf|publisher=Sénat|accessdate=14 July 2017}} having previously co-chaired the group from 6 November to 13 December 2015.{{cite web|title=TABLE NOMINATIVE 2015 – DÉBATS DU SÉNAT|url=https://www.senat.fr/themas/nomina2015/place_jean_vincent11069t.rtf|publisher=Sénat|accessdate=14 July 2017}}{{cite web|title=TABLE NOMINATIVE 2015 – DÉBATS DU SÉNAT|url=https://www.senat.fr/themas/nomina2015/bouchoux_corinne11029k.rtf|publisher=Sénat|accessdate=14 July 2017}} Placé's departure left the ecologists with only nine deputies, threatening the continued existence of the group; a few days before the deadline, however, Hervé Poher, associated senator of the socialist group, joined the ecologist group, ensuring its survival.{{cite news|author=François Vignal|title=Sénat : le groupe écologiste a trouvé son sauveur, le " mutant " Hervé Poher|url=https://www.publicsenat.fr/lcp/politique/senat-groupe-ecologiste-trouve-sauveur-1265781|publisher=Public Sénat|date=8 March 2016|accessdate=14 July 2017}} Bouchoux concluded her term as president of the group on 3 May 2016, becoming a Secretary of the Bureau of the Senate, and was succeeded in her post by Jean Desessard on 4 May.{{cite web|title=TABLE NOMINATIVE 2016 – DÉBATS DU SÉNAT|url=https://www.senat.fr/themas/nomina2016/desessard_jean04067m.rtf|publisher=Sénat|accessdate=14 July 2017}} With André Gattolin joining some 25 senators in forming the La République En Marche group on 27 June, however, the ecologist group once again fell below the requisite number to constitute a group and was dissolved,{{cite news|title=Sénat: disparition du groupe écologiste|url=http://www.lefigaro.fr/flash-actu/2017/06/27/97001-20170627FILWWW00147-senat-disparition-du-groupe-ecologiste.php|agency=Agence France-Presse|newspaper=Le Figaro|date=27 June 2017|accessdate=14 July 2017}} with Desessard's term as president officially ending on 29 June.{{cite web|title=TABLE NOMINATIVE 2017 – DÉBATS DU SÉNAT|url=https://www.senat.fr/themas/nomina2017/desessard_jean04067m.rtf|publisher=Sénat|accessdate=14 July 2017}}

{{reflist|30em}}

• [http://www.senat.fr/senateurs/grp.html Lists of senators by political group] {{in lang|fr}}
• [http://www.senat.fr/evenement/archives/D50/index.html Historical composition of the Senate and political groups] {{in lang|fr}}

{{Political groups of the French Senate (2014–17)}}

Category:Senate (France)

Category:Parliamentary groups in France