and presided in the European Parliament over the Commission on Development and Cooperation (1979–1984) then the Commission on Energy, Research and Technology (1984). Poniatowski approved in September 1983 the merger of the electoral list RPR-UDF with the far-right National Front (FN) party, headed by Jean-Marie Le Pen, during the partial municipal election of Dreux. He stated: "The fascist danger in France does not come from the right, but from the left, of which it is its spiritual vocation and method. One must therefore vote against the fascists of the left." Poniatowski was then senator of the Val-d'Oise from 1989 to 1995, and continued to advocate in favour of electoral agreements with the National Front, taking as model the (difficult) relationship between the Socialist Party (PS) and the Communist Party (PCF). An atypical member of the UDF, which he had co-founded, he was first ignored by his colleagues for his support of the far-right – the National Front's ascension is usually dated from the 1983 Dreux elections. After his support for electoral agreements with the FN during the 1992 regional elections and the 1993 legislative elections, he was finally disavowed by his fellow party members at the end of 1991, although he was neither excluded nor deprived of his honorary presidential functions. Like many members of the right-wing, he supported Édouard Balladur against Chirac during the 1995 presidential election. Three years later, he participated to the right-wing party of Charles Millon, excluded from the UDF for the same reasons as Poniatowski, and they founded the Droite libérale-chrétienne (Liberal-Christian Right) which continued to ally itself with the National Front. Poniatowski finally retreated from political life in 1999, replaced as mayor of L'Isle-Adam by his son Axel Poniatowski. He then died three years later, on 15 January 2002. See also Poniatowski References and notes Further reading 1922 births 2002 deaths Politicians from Paris École nationale d'administration alumni French people of Polish descent French Ministers of Health Michel Right-wing politicians in France French interior ministers Mayors of places in Île-de-France Senators of Val-d'Oise Union for French Democracy politicians Members of Parliament for Val-d'Oise