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FRANCIA Jean-Paul Huchon, former Socialist president of the Île-de-France region, dies at 80
His family confirmed his death to France Télévisions. He held several senior political posts in France over the course of decades.
Jean-Paul Huchon, the former president of the Île-de-France region, has died at the age of 80, according to his family, who informed France Télévisions, as reported by France Info.
Born in Paris, Huchon built a long political career and was for many years associated with the Socialist Party. France Info said he served as mayor of Conflans-Sainte-Honorine from 1977 to 2001, while Le Monde placed that tenure between 1994 and 2001.
He became head of France’s largest region in 1998 and remained in office until 2015, according to France Info. On his work with Michel Rocard, France Info reported that he was Rocard’s chief of staff from 1981 to 1985, while Le Monde said he held that role at Matignon from 1988 to 1991.
In later years, Huchon moved beyond traditional Socialist alignments. According to France Info, he backed Emmanuel Macron in the 2017 presidential election and in 2021 supported Valérie Pécresse, the outgoing president of Île-de-France and a figure from The Republicans.
France Info also recalled that he was convicted in 2007 and given a six-month suspended prison sentence and a 60,000-euro fine for illegal conflict of interest in a fictitious employment case. The same outlet added that in 2025 he was again convicted and received an eight-month suspended sentence, a 10,000-euro fine and a one-year ban from holding office, also for illegal conflict of interest, over a regional subsidy granted to the Green Lotus association.
Sources
About this piece. Written by El Notero with AI assistance, from reporting published by the outlet cited above. El Notero did no original reporting on this story.
