Serge Dassault, 79-year-old patriarch of leading business and military aircraft manufacturer Dassault Aviation, at last has realized his dream of becoming a French lawmaker following his election to the French Senate at the end of September. Meanwhile, his newly acquired daily newspaper is already causing him a headache.
In 2002 Dassault, mayor of the Paris suburb of Corbeil-Essonne, lost his bid for election as a deputy (congressman) to the National Assembly. His father, Marcel, the legendary founder of Dassault Aviation, was a deputy and his son Olivier is currently a National Assembly member. Now Serge Dassault is one of the five senators representing Essonne, one of France’s 95 departments, or national districts. Elected under proportional representation by Essonne’s local and regional councilors and deputies, Dassault will represent the conservative UMP party, the party of President Chirac, for a six-year term.
