Paulette Domeur

**Paulette Marie-Angéline Domeur** (born 28 March 1970) is a Maronan politician and former model who has served as the mayor of Saint-Pierre since 2023. A member of the Republican Party, Domeur is the daughter of Christophe and Marie-Angéline Domeur, and the sister of Jean-Paul and Antoine Domeur.

Domeur was born in Sainte-Jeanne to a political family in Tahare. She attended Lycée Sainte-Marie in Sainte-Anne, graduating in 1988, and afterwards enrolled in the University of Tahare, graduating with a bachelor's degree in marketing in 1992, and a master's degree in 1994. In 1988, Domeur was crowned Miss Tahare 1988, and later competed at Miss Marone 1989. Her participation in the pageant was widely reported in throughout the Maronan press, as her father was serving as president of Tahare at the time of her participation. After competing in the pageant, Domeur began a career as a swimsuit model and socialite in Tahare. She retired from modeling in 1997, after becoming pregnant with her first child. In 2006, Domeur founded a wedding and event planning business.

Domeur began a political career in 2022, following in the footsteps of her parents and elder brothers, after she was included on the electoral list for the Republican Party in the 2022 municipal election in Sainte-Pierre. She was ultimately elected to the municipal council, and took her seat on 20 June 2022. Following the prohibition of dual mandates in Maronan politics in 2023, her elder brother Antoine resigned as mayor of Saint-Pierre, and endorsed his sister to succeed him; the governing majority of the municipal council subsequently followed in endorsing her to be elected as mayor.

## Early life and education

Domeur was born on 28 March 1970 in Sainte-Jeanne, on the island of Tahare, to parents Christophe (1930–2015) and Marie-Angéline Domeur (née *Vétin*; born 1941). She is a member of the *Greb* ethnic community. Both of her parents were politicians; her father led the Republican Party in Tahare, serving as president of Tahare from 1980 until 1992, while her mother served as the mayor of Sainte-Jeanne from 1986 until 1998. Domeur was raised in a wealthy and educated family as the youngest of three children and only daughter; her elder brothers include Jean-Paul (born 1964) and Antoine (born 1968), both of whom are also politicians and public figures in Tahare.

Domeur began her education in 1975, attending private, Eurean Catholic schooling in Sainte-Jeanne and nearby Sainte-Anne. Domeur completed primary school in 1982, and later graduated from *collège* in Sainte-Anne in 1985. Afterwards, Domeur enrolled in Lycée Sainte-Marie, a private, coeducational, Eurean Catholic *lycée* in Sainte-Anne and the most prestigious secondary school in Tahare, where she studied a *lycée académique* program in economics and social sciences. Domeur graduated with her *baccalauréat* with honors in 1988, and afterwards enrolled in the University of Tahare, studying marketing. She took one semester off from her studies to prioritize her beauty pageant titleholder duties, and later graduated with a bachelor's degree in 1992, and a master's degree in 1994.

## Pageantry and modeling

Domeur began her career in pageantry in 1988, after being selected as a contestant at Miss Tahare 1988. The final of the pageant was held in August 1988, which saw Domeur going on to win the title. The pageant received a significant amount of media coverage in Tahare, as Domeur was the daughter of the incumbent president of Tahare. Critics of the pageant alleged that the results were rigged by her father's political and media connections, but the Miss Tahare Committee confirmed the validity of the results through their external partner accounting firm. After winning the title, Domeur delayed her first semester of university studies in order to prepare for Miss Marone 1989. Miss Marone was later held in December 1988, and saw Domeur advancing into the top fifteen, before Suzanne Feuche of Pitaine was crowned the winner.

After completing her reign as Miss Tahare in August 1989, Domeur embarked on a career as a swimsuit model, while also continuing her post-secondary education as a university student. Domeur signed with a local modeling agency in Tahare, and primarily worked in print campaigns for local swimwear brands. She branched into lingerie modeling in 1992. Domeur's modeling career provided a minor controversy for her father's political career, with certain members of the media deeming her photos inappropriate for the daughter of an influential politician. Domeur continued modeling professionally following her 1994 marriage, but retired from her career after becoming pregnant with her first child in 1997. In 2006, Domeur founded a wedding and event planning business, which she owns and manages.

## Personal life

Domeur married Maronan-Lungarian orthopedic surgeon David Brücke in 1994, following a two-year relationship; Brücke is 14 years Domeur's senior. Domeur and Brücke had two children together: Lyna (born 1998) and Quentin (born 2000); Lyna was the second runner-up at Miss Tahare 2020. Domeur filed for divorce from Brücke in 2004, and the divorce was finalized the following year. Following the divorce, the two children resided full-time with Domeur, and Brücke relocated to metropolitan Marone.

Domeur and her family reside in Saint-Pierre. Domeur identifies as a Eurean Catholic, while she is fluent in Maronan, Taharian Creole, and Ditrovian.