François Vendasi, one man, a thousand careers

Pilot, company manager, president of a football team, mayor, senator… The life of François Vendasi, pillar of the island’s PRG, had many facets. He died last Monday in his home at the age of 82.

As happens with all people who have become characters over time, no one, except during official ceremonies, called him François Vendasi.

It was Fanfan. Or, sometimes, “Mr. Fanfan”, which speaks volumes about the influence and power of the man who for decades was one of the figures of the island’s left, an indispensable captain of industry.

It was not thanks to his political career that Vendasi’s name became known to the general public. For decades “Fanfan” led a thriving career as an entrepreneur at the helm of the SNC Vendasi, created by his father. A public works company that employs hundreds of people, and multiplies the size of construction sites, often public contracts. His premises will be the target of attacks on several occasions.

Passionate about racing, he was also a racing driver, and between 1982 and 1985 he was president of the Sporting Etoile Club de Bastia. A few years later, SNC Vendasi will take care of the construction of the new Armand Cesari stadium.

It was not in 1994, at the age of 54, that he sought his first mandate, becoming general councilor of the Montesoro-Furiani canton. It will be there until 2005, not counting his brief return, between March and October 2008.

One year after this first victory in the cantonal elections, François Vendasi ran for mayor of Furiani. Once again, François Vendasi doesn’t just walk by. He will remain at the helm of the municipality for almost 20 years, until 2014.

His opponents will soon realize that it is difficult to take the place of the one who had become one of the tutelary figures of the powerful island party of the radical left.

Quickly, the ambitions of “Fanfan” surpassed the coasts of Corsica. The legislative elections of 2002 were the scene of a fratricidal struggle within the PRG: François Vendasi presented himself against the outgoing deputy of the first district of Upper Corsica, Emile Zuccarelli, a pillar of the island radicals. In vain. The mayor of Bastia will return to the position he has held since 1986.

It is not the Bourbon palace, but the Luxembourg palace, which will finally welcome François Vendasi. In 2005, during the partial senatorial elections, organized following the resignation of Paolo Natali, the mayor of Furiani won the elections. Supported by a campaign in which the PRG returns to a common front.

François Vendasi, who multiplied the caps, was not really used to the gold of the Republic. Few years ago, in an interview with France-Soir, He confessed with his usual bluntness, only going to the Senate“once a year”,

He explained this fairly relative attendance by pointing out that “rather than going to a session in the Senate, in front of a secretary of state who doesn’t know much about the case, I prefer to stay on the ground, in Haute-Corse, and plead the cases directly with the officials of the ministries. Paris and its political games are not for me. But you can’t say I don’t do anything. For me, the work of a senator is above all local representation”.

A proven choice. In 2008 François Vendasi was re-elected in the first round with 63% of the votes. In 2014, at the age of 74, weakened by illness, he gave up running for mayor of Furiani and for the Senate.

François Vendasi died last Monday at his home, aged 82, after a long illness.