Nicole Sanquer-Fareata (born 16 June 1972) is a French Polynesian politician, and former Cabinet Minister. She was a member of the French National Assembly from 2017 to 2022. Elected as a member of Tapura Huiraatira, she sits in the UDI and Independents group in the French Parliament.[1] In 2020 she formed the A here ia Porinetia party.
Nicole Sanquer | |
|---|---|
 Sanquer in 2014 | |
| Member of the National Assembly for French Polynesia's 2nd constituency | |
| Assumed office 18 July 2024 | |
| Preceded by | Steve Chailloux |
| In office 21 June 2017 – 21 June 2022 | |
| Preceded by | Jonas Tahuaitu |
| Succeeded by | Steve Chailloux |
| Minister of Education and Higher Education, Youth and Sports | |
| In office 16 September 2014 – 17 July 2017 | |
| President | Edouard Fritch |
| Preceded by | Michel Leboucher |
| Succeeded by | Tea Frogier |
| Member of the Assembly of French Polynesia | |
| Assumed office 17 August 2017 | |
| Constituency | Windward Islands |
| In office 7 May 2013 – 17 September 2014 | |
| Constituency | Windward Islands |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Nicole Sanquer 16 June 1972 Papeete, French Polynesia, France |
| Political party | A here ia Porinetia (2020–present) |
| Other political affiliations | Tāhōʻēraʻa Huiraʻatira (2013–2015) Tāpura Huiraʻatira (2015–2020) |
| Alma mater | ESSEC Business School |
Early life
editSanquer is the daughter of former French Polynesian education minister Nicolas Sanquer.[2] She was educated at the University of French Polynesia, the Paul Bocuse institute of culinary arts in Écully, and ESSEC Business School, graduating with a master's degree in international hotel management in collaboration with Cornell University in 1997.[3] After teaching at the hotel school in Tahiti, she worked as a civil servant in the protocol department of the president of French Polynesia, before serving as the head of the tourism department.[3] In 2001 she returned to teaching at the hotel school.[3] In November 2014 she was awarded the Ordre des Palmes académiques for services to national education.[3]
Political career
editSanquer was first elected to the Assembly of French Polynesia in the 2013 French Polynesian legislative election as a representative for Tahoera'a Huiraatira.[2] She was appointed to the cabinet of Edouard Fritch in September 2014 as Minister of Education, becoming the youngest member of Cabinet.[2] In October 2015 she was appointed Minister for Youth and Sports.[4] While serving as a Minister her seat in the Assembly of French Polynesia was filled by Puta'i Taae.[5]
She was elected to the French National Assembly in the 2017 French legislative election.[6] Following the election she resigned as a Minister and returned to her seat in the French Polynesian Assembly.[5] She was re-elected to the territorial assembly in the 2018 election.
In December 2019 Sanquer declared that she would sit as an independent in the Assembly of French Polynesia.[7] Despite this, she was not expelled from the party.[8]
In August 2020 Sanquer founded A here ia Porinetia with former Tapura Huiraatira MPs Nuihau Laurey, Bernard Natua, Teura Tarahu-Atuahiva, and Félix Tokoragi, as well as Tahoera'a Huiraatira MP Vaitea Le Gayic who was "loaned" by Tahoera'a.[9] The group lost its parliamentary recognition in January 2021 after Le Gayic resigned and rejoined Tahoera'a,[10][11] leaving its members as independents.
In September 2021 she organised a protest against French Polynesia's vaccination law.[12] That month she also called for the legalisation of medicinal cannabis in the territory.[13]
She ran again as a A here ia Porinetia candidate in the 2022 French legislative election,[14][15] but was eliminated in the first round.
She was re-elected to the Assembly in the 2023 election.[16]
References
edit- ^ "Mme Nicole Sanquer - Polynésie Française (2e circonscription) - Assemblée nationale". www2.assemblee-nationale.fr. Retrieved 2021-01-01.
- ^ a b c "Portrait de la benjamine du gouvernement". TNTV News. 17 September 2014. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016.
- ^ a b c d "La ministre de l'Education reçoit les Palmes académiques" (in French). Tahiti News. 29 November 2014. Archived from the original on 16 March 2015.
- ^ "New minister chosen in Tahiti shuffle". RNZ. 9 October 2015. Retrieved 30 January 2022.
- ^ a b "French Polynesia minister quits for Paris office". RNZ. 18 July 2017. Retrieved 30 January 2022.
- ^ "Anti-independence camp wins big in French Pacific". RNZ. 19 June 2017. Retrieved 30 January 2022.
- ^ "French Polynesia Govt MP to sit as independent". RNZ. 7 December 2019. Retrieved 30 January 2022.
- ^ "Sanquer remains in Tahiti's Tapura party". RNZ. 16 December 2019. Retrieved 30 January 2022.
- ^ "Un quatrième groupe à l'assemblée" (in French). DomTom News. 20 August 2020. Retrieved 30 January 2022.
- ^ "Le groupe A Here Ia Porinetia n'est officiellement plus constitué" (in French). Tahiti News. 28 January 2021. Retrieved 30 January 2022.
- ^ "Vaitea Le Gayic retourne au Tahoera'a, le groupe A Here Ia Porinetia disparaît" (in French). 360 tahiti. 28 January 2021. Retrieved 30 January 2022.
- ^ "Protest against compulsory vaccination in Tahiti". RNZ. 20 September 2021. Retrieved 30 January 2022.
- ^ "Nicole Sanquer : "Cannabis thérapeutique: il faut autoriser l'expérimentation en Polynésie"" (in French). FranceInfo. 30 September 2021. Retrieved 30 January 2022.
- ^ "Législatives : Nicole Sanquer, candidate sous ses propres couleurs" (in French). TNTV News. 19 May 2022. Retrieved 21 June 2022.
- ^ "Législatives 2022 – Nicole Sanquer : "Parole au peuple"" (in French). Tahiti Infos. 23 May 2022. Retrieved 21 June 2022.
- ^ "La nouvelle composition de l'assemblée" (in French). Tahiti Infos. 1 May 2023. Retrieved 1 May 2023.