Henri Malosse (born 6 October 1954 in Montpellier, France) is a French politician and representative of the business world. he has been the 30th President of the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) (April 2013 - October 2015).
Henri Malosse was born in Montpellier in a family of professors from Corsica.[1] He graduated from the Sciences Po in 1976.[2]
He began exploring the cultures of Germany, Eastern Europe and speaks Polish, Russian English and German.[citation needed]
Henri Malosse supported strongly the freedom's movement in Poland (Solidarnosc), met Lech Walesa in 1976 in Gdansk and was banned by the polish communist regime of Jaruzelski during 8 years. He has been harassed by the secret police of the polish communist regime. His file can be found in the archivum of IPN in Warsaw. [citation needed]
He was involved in European policies for SMEs, inspiring the creation of the Euro Info Centres.[1] He worked to create the Delegation of the Assembly of French Chambers of Commerce and Industry to the European Union, and assumed its Direction six years later.[1]He also participated in the European Association of Small and Medium Enterprises at the European Parliament.[1]
In 1995 he was appointed by the French government in the European Economic and Social Committee - EESC, the 5th Institution of the European Union, writing more than 50 reports including a critic of the posted workers directive. He was the chair of the pre-accession EU-Bulgaria Consultative Committee, and of the Employer's Group from 2016 to 2013 - In 2013, He was elected the 30th President of the EESC.[3]
His presidency took attention to the European media thanks to his critical position on EU stand to Greece during the financial crisis . He signed a Protocol of cooperation with Martin Schulz, the President of the European parliament.[citation needed]
He was the first EU representative to participate at Euromaidan in Kiev in December 2013[citation needed] and to pay a visit to the 14th Dalai Lama in Dharamsala on 10 March 2014.[4] His political engagement raised a lot of criticism from the Chinese Communist Party and their supporters in Europe. He was also put temporarily on a blacklist by the Russian federation.[citation needed]
On 15 October 2014, Henri Malosse received the National Order of the Legion of Honour by the former President of the French Republic, Valery Giscard d'Estaing, in Brussels.[5]