Nicolas Forissier

Forissier started his political career as a Deputy Mayor of La Châtre in 1989, before his election to the mayorship in 1995, an office he would retain until 2017. From 2002 to 2017, he also presided over the communauté de communes de La Châtre et Sainte-Sévère.^[1][2] In 2017, he was appointed honorary mayor by the prefect of Indre.^[3]

In the 1993 legislative election, Forissier was elected to the National Assembly in the 2nd constituency of Indre. He was reelected in 1997, 2002, 2007, 2017, 2022 and 2024.^[4] In Parliament, he has served on the Production Committee (1993–2002), Finance Committee (2002–2004, 2007–2012, 2017–2020) and Foreign Affairs Committee (2020–present). In addition to his committee assignments, he has presided over the French-Argentinian Parliamentary Friendship Group since 2017, a position he previously held twice (2002–2004, 2007–2009). He also presided over the French-Mauritanian Parliamentary Friendship Group (1997–2002) and French-Indian Parliamentary Friendship Group (2009–2012).^[4]

From 2004 to 2005, Forissier served as Secretary of State for Agriculture, Food, Fisheries and Rural Affairs under successive Agriculture Ministers Hervé Gaymard and Dominique Bussereau in the third government of Prime Minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin.^[1][4]

In 2015, Forissier was elected to the Regional Council of Centre-Val de Loire. In 2021, he led a joint ticket between The Republicans, the Union of Democrats and Independents, the Rurality Movement, The Centrists and Soyons libres, but placed second behind incumbent Regional Council President François Bonneau of the Socialist Party.^[5]

In The Republicans' 2017 leadership election, Forissier endorsed Laurent Wauquiez.^[6]