Jean-Luc M�lenchon is a French politician who served in the government of France as Minister of Vocational Education from 2000 to 2002. He was also a member of the French Senate, representing the d�partement of Essonne. He placed fourth in the 2012 presidential election, receiving about 11% of the vote. M�lenchon left the Socialist Party in November 2008 to found the Left Party with French deputy Marc Dolez. As leader of the Left Party, he joined the Left Front before the 2009 European elections and was selected as the coalition's main candidate in the South-West region. At those elections he won 8.15% of the votes cast and gained a seat in the European Parliament. M�lenchon is co-president of the Left Party along with Martine Billard. During the protest movement against the pension reform of 2010 his public stature grew thanks to his many public and television appearances. [More at Wikipedia]

August 19th, 1951 in Tangier (Age 73)