Bruno Gollnisch
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Bruno Gollnisch (born 28 January 1950 in Neuilly-sur-Seine) is a French academic and politician, a member of the National Front (FN) far-right party, and currently[update] a European Parliament member.
He was chairman of the European Parliamentary group 'Identity, Tradition, Sovereignty' in 2007, which was dissolved in November 2007 following the defection of the 'Greater Romanian Party'. He is therefore currently a Non-Inscrit.
Gollnisch is also executive vice-president of the FN since 2007. He is a councillor of the Rhône-Alpes région of France. Because of his public comments and his position in the National Front, he is a highly controversial personality in France.
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[edit] Studies and career
Bruno Gollnisch studied Law, political science and far-eastern languages, with an initial intent to become a diplomat. He met Jean-Marie Le Pen while studying at Nanterre university. He also became a reserve officer in the French Navy.
In 1971-1973 he was granted degrees in Japanese and Malaysian-Indonesian by the INALCO. In 1973, he was awarded a degree in political sciences at Institut d'Etudes Politiques de Paris (Sciences Po). He did a masters (DEA) in public law in 1973. In 1974, he began doctoral studies in Law at Kyoto University (Japan). In 1978, he obtained a doctorate in law in Paris. Since 1980, he has been an attorney at the bar of Paris.
After coming back to France, he began a career as juridical advisor, then lawyer. He is a specialist of the law of Eastern Asian countries.
He became associate professor of Law at Metz university. In 1981, he became professor of Japanese language and civilization at the University of Lyon III, and still holds this position. The humanities division of said University, especially (though not only) Lyon III, has been notorious, for quite a long time, for the profusion of FN supporters and revisionists among its faculty -- most notably, Robert Faurisson. Gollnisch has collaborated with the white nationalist American Renaissance magazine.
Gollnisch, who is part of the Catholic current inside the National Front, along with Bernard Antony, joined the "TSM" current inside the FN (Tout sauf Mégret, Anybody But Mégret) during the 1990s crisis, along with Samuel Maréchal, Marine Le Pen, Roger Holeindre, Jean-Claude Martinez and Martine Lehideux [1].
He is married to a Japanese woman and has three children.
[edit] Controversy
Bruno Gollnisch was condemned in January 2007 to three months of prison on probation and 55.000 Euros of damage and interest by Lyon's tribunal correctionnel on charge of "offense of verbal contestation of the existence of crimes against humanity, [2]," which is punished in France in vertu of the 1990 Gayssot Act. Gollnisch had held the incriminated verbal contestation on October 11, 2004, by declaring:
- I do not question the existence of concentration camps but historians could discuss the number of deaths. As to the existence of gas chambers, it is up to historians to speak their minds ("de se déterminer"). [3]
in reaction to a report denouncing the complacent attitude of the Lyon III university with respect to the far right. Bruno Gollnisch reiterated his declarations shortly after. Bruno Gollnisch's declarations, with their implication of holocaust denial, provoked an instantaneous scandal, especially with the proximity of the ceremonies commemorating the 60th anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz extermination camp. The president of the university asked the Minister of National Education to suspend Professor Gollnisch, and announced the opening of a disciplinary procedure against him.
On 26 December, the president of the university suspended Professor Gollnisch's classes for 30 days. On 2 December, the president of the university also prohibited the entrance of Professor Gollnisch into the university, alleging possible trouble to public order; however, this decision was cancelled by the Conseil d'État on 14 January 2005. [1]
On 2 February, Bruno Gollnisch again began teaching at Lyon III. The entrance of students in his classroom was blocked by groups of students from left-wing and Jewish associations. A group of National Front students allowed Gollnisch's students to enter the classroom and blocked the protesters. A brawl ensued; police officers came and a National Front student was arrested. Other troubles ensued.
On 7 November 2006, at the opening of the trial, Bruno Gollnisch was asked whether "the organized extermination of European Jews by the Nazi regime (...) constitutes an undeniable crime against humanity, and that it has been carried out notably by using gas chamber in extermination camps". He replied "absolutely" [4]. Ultimately, Gollnisch has been found not guilty by the Cour de cassation on 24 June 2009[5].
[edit] Electoral mandates
Member of European Parliament : Since 1989
Member of the National Assembly of France for Rhône (departement) : 1986-1988
Regional councillor of Rhône-Alpes : Since 1986
Municipal councillor of Lyon : 1995-2008
[edit] References
- ^ Erwan Lecoeur, Dictionnaire de l’extrême-droite, Larousse 2007, pp.263-264
- ^ Bruno Gollnisch condamné pour ses propos sur l'Holocauste, REUTERS cable published by L'Express on January 18, 2007 — URL accessed on January 18, 2007 (French) délit de contestation de l'existence de crime contre l'humanité par paroles
- ^ NEGATIONNISME: Lyon III demande la suspension de Bruno Gollnisch, Le Nouvel Observateur, 13 October 2004 (French)
- ^ Bruno Gollnisch a reconnu l'existence des chambres à gaz à l'ouverture de son procès, Le Monde, 8 November 2006 (French)
- ^ Gollnisch blanchi par la Cour de cassation, Le Nouvel Observateur, 24 June 2009 (French)
[edit] External links
- (French) Official site
