Prof. Bruno Gollnisch MEP
Member of the European Parliament
Incumbent
Assumed office 20 July 2004
Constituency	East France
In office 15 July 1989 – 20 July 2004
Constituency	France
Regional councillor for Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur
Incumbent
Assumed office 16 March 1986
Member of the French National Assembly for Rhône (department)
In office 16 March 1986 – 14 May 1988
Municipal Councillor for the 8th arrondissement of Lyon
In office 1995–2008
Personal details
Born	(1950-01-28) 28 January 1950 (age 62) Neuilly-sur-Seine
Nationality	France
Political party	National Front
Spouse(s)	Setsuko Takeuchi
Children	three children
Religion	Roman Catholic

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 a member of the European Parliament. 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 Romania Party. He is therefore a Non-Inscrit. Gollnisch has also been the 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 controversial figure in France.

  Studies and career

Bruno Gollnisch studied law, political science and far-eastern languages with the view to becoming 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 his return to France, he began a career as juridical advisor, then lawyer. He is a specialist in 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 - a position which he holds to this day. The humanities division of University of Lyon 3, is notorious 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 faction within the National Front, along with Bernard Antony, joined the "TSM" faction 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 married a Japanese, Setsuko Takeuchi, in 1981 and they have three children.

Gollnisch was an unsuccessful candidate for the leadership of the National Front in 2011 when the party's founding leader Jean Marie Le Pen retired. Gollnisch was defeated by Marine Le Pen, Jean Marie's daughter.^[2]

  Controversy

Bruno Gollnisch was condemned in January 2007 to a three-month prison sentence on probation and a ordered to pay costs of 55,000 Euros (with interest) by the Lyon tribunal correctionnel on a charge of "an offence of verbal contestation of the existence of crimes against humanity,^[3]" which is punished in France by virtue of the 1990 Gayssot Act. Gollnisch had committed the 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").^[4]

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 its publication. Bruno Gollnisch's declarations, with their implication of holocaust denial, provoked a scandal, especially in the run-up to the ceremonies commemorating the 60th anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz extermination camp. The chancellor 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 chancellor suspended Professor Gollnisch's classes for 30 days. Furthermore, on 2 December, the chancellor excluded him from the university, alleging a possible breach of the peace; however, this decision was overturned by the Conseil d'État on 14 January 2005.^[5]

On 2 February, Bruno Gollnisch started teaching again at Lyon III. Students were prevented from entering his lecture room by groups of students from left-wing and Jewish associations. A group of National Front students enabled his students to enter and blocked the protesters. A brawl ensued; police officers arrived on the scene and a National Front student was arrested. Other trouble 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 was carried out notably by using gas chambers in extermination camps". He replied "absolutely".^[6] Gollnisch was finally found not guilty by the Cour de cassation on 24 June 2009.^[7]

  Criticism of the Vatican

In August 2010, Bruno Gollnisch - who supports the French Government's move to deport Roma from French territory - publicly criticised the Vatican for opposing the deportation.^[8] He suggested that the evicted Roma should be accommodated in St Peter's Square, Rome, and that the Vatican should then re-state its position.

  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

  References

  External links

• (French) Official site