Jean-François Humbert, former regional president in Franche-Comté and senator for Doubs, died on November 20 in Issoudun, Indre, at age 73. He gained fame in 1998 by rejecting Front National votes in regional elections, earning him the title of 'republican hero' and the Legion of Honor presented by Jacques Chirac.
Jean-François Humbert passed away on November 20 in Issoudun, Indre, at the age of 73. A center-right politician, he had been elected senator for Doubs multiple times and served as president of the Franche-Comté regional council. His political legacy is defined by a pivotal moment in March 1998 during France's regional elections.
The proportional single-round vote in Franche-Comté resulted in a tie between left and right, with 24 seats each, positioning the nine Front National (FN) councilors as kingmakers. As the UDF candidate, Humbert had pledged no collusion with Jean-Marie Le Pen's party. Unlike four other right-wing regional presidents – Charles Millon in Rhône-Alpes, Jean-Pierre Soisson in Bourgogne, Charles Baur in Picardie, and Jacques Blanc in Languedoc-Roussillon –, who accepted these votes and sparked a national crisis, Humbert resigned right after his apparent election.
This stand, described as a 'dramatic gesture' by the media, elevated him to 'republican hero' status. In honor of his resistance to the far right, Jacques Chirac awarded him the Legion of Honor. Within his own ranks, colistiers had heatedly contested his choice, while on the left, internal rifts – including talks between Socialist leader Pierre Moscovici and the right – fueled anger, particularly among Jean-Pierre Chevènement's allies in the Mouvement des citoyens.