Édouard Fritch

Winfred Édouard Tereori Fritch (; born 4 January 1952) is a French Polynesian politician who served as President of French Polynesia from 2014 to 2023. He previously presided over the Assembly of French Polynesia on three occasions: from April 2007 to February 2008, from February 2009 to April 2009 and from May 2013 to September 2014. Until 2015, Fritch was co-president of Tahoera'a Huiraatira, a pro-French political party, before he became president of the newly established Tapura Huiraatira.

He became a member of the Assembly of French Polynesia in 1986. He was reelected in 1991, 1996, 2001, 2004, 2008 and 2013. He served as a cabinet minister in French Polynesia several times between 1984 and 2011. From 1996 to 2004, from 2004 to 2005, in 2008 and again from 2009 to 2011, he served as Vice President of French Polynesia under his father-in-law Gaston Flosse. From 2000 to 2008, he was Mayor of Pirae, where he succeeded Flosse. He lost the 2008 election, but remained a municipal councillor. He was reelected to the mayorship in 2014.

Career Born in Papeete, Fritch graduated from the École des ingénieurs de la Ville de Paris. He came back from metropolitan France in 1980 to work for the commune of Pirae.

2004 French Polynesian legislative election

2008 French Polynesian legislative election

The 2008 French Polynesian legislative election took place on January 27, 2008, and February 10, 2008. The pro-French political of former President Gaston Tong Sang, O Porinetia To Tatou Ai'a, secured 27 of the 57 seats in the new French Polynesian Assembly. Tong Sang said that he was prepared to offer Fritch's Tahoeraa Huiraatira party the Speaker of the Assembly, as well as 4 of the 15 ministerial posts, should he form a new government. Fritch refused Tong Sang's offer, saying that he wanted no less than five ministerial positions.

He served as Speaker for only two months under Gaston Flosse in 2008 until Gaston Tong Sang was elected president in April 2008. His election as Speaker was part of the coalition agreement which allowed Oscar Temaru to be elected president the day before. Fritch initially resisted calls for a new election, saying that his position was necessary for the current April 9 Assembly session. However, a new election was held following legal advice from the French Council of State in Paris. Schyle, a member of the O Porinetia To Tatou Ai'a, received 40 votes, while Fritch garnered obtained just 14 votes.

2012 French legislative election

Fritch was elected on 16 June 2012 as member of the National Assembly of France in the 1st constituency of French Polynesia. He seated in the Union for Democrats and Independents group in the National Assembly, chaired by former minister Jean-Louis Borloo. He resigned in April 2014 because of a new law preventing cumulative mandates.

2013 French Polynesian legislative election

2014 French Polynesian presidential election

2018 French Polynesian presidential election

He was re-elected to the Assembly in the 2023 election.

Honours and decorations Territorial honours