Antoine Domeur

**Antoine Jean-Étienne Domeur** (born 12 June 1968) is a Maronan politician from Tahare who is the leader of the Tahare branch of the Republican Party, serving as a member of the General Council of Tahare since 2004.

Domeur was born in Sainte-Jeanne to a political family in Tahare. His father, Christophe Domeur, led the Republican Party in Tahare and served as president of Tahare from 1980 until 1992, while his mother, Marie-Angéline Domeur, served as the mayor of Sainte-Jeanne from 1986 until 1998. Domeur was educated at Lycée Sainte-Marie in Sainte-Anne, graduating in 1986. He afterwards enrolled in a CPGE course at the school, which he completed in 1988, and subsequently graduated with a bachelor's degree in political economy from EEP Delmas in 1989, and a master's degree in 1991. Domeur remained in Delmas after completing his education, and worked in investment banking at Esschof Willenger and BND Daibas, based out of Danchester, Delmas, and Sainte-Anne.

Domeur began his career in politics after returning to Tahare in 1998, in order to stand as a candidate in the 1998 municipal election in Saint-Pierre, where he was elected to the municipal council. He later was elected to the General Council in the 2004 regional election, while also being reelected to the Saint-Pierre municipal council. In 2009, Domeur was chosen as the candidate of the Republican Party in Tahare's 7th constituency for the 2009 Maronan legislative election, which he narrowly won after defeating incumbent Lucie Vidiacharan in the second round of voting. Following the election, he was chosen to lead the center-right bloc in the 2010 municipal election in Saint-Pierre, leading the bloc to victory and becoming the mayor of Saint-Pierre. He became the leader of the center-right Sauvez Notre Île alliance ahead of the 2016 regional election, and also led the alliance into the 2022 regional election as well. Following the prohibition of dual mandates in Maronan politics in 2023, Domeur resigned his seat in the Chamber of Representatives in addition to his municipal offices.

## Early life and education

Domeur was born on 12 June 1968 in Sainte-Jeanne, on the island of Tahare, to parents Christophe (1930–2015) and Marie-Angéline Domeur (née *Vétin*; born 1941). He is a member of the *Greb* ethnic community. Both of his parents were politicians; his father led the Republican Party in Tahare, serving as president of Tahare from 1980 until 1992, while his mother served as the mayor of Sainte-Jeanne from 1986 until 1998. Domeur was raised in a wealthy and educated family as the second of three children; his siblings include Jean-Paul (born 1964) and Paulette (born 1970), both of whom are also public figures in Tahare.

Domeur began his education in 1973, attending private, Eurean Catholic schooling in Sainte-Jeanne and nearby Sainte-Anne. Domeur completed primary school in 1980, where he was a gifted student and footballer, and later graduated from *collège* in Sainte-Anne in 1983. 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 he studied a *lycée académique* program in economics and social sciences. Domeur graduated with his *baccalauréat* with honors in 1986, and afterwards enrolled in a CPGE course at the school, studying political science and public administration. He completed the course in 1988, and afterwards moved to Delmas to enroll in EEP Delmas, graduating with a bachelor's degree in political economy in 1989, and a master's degree in 1991. Domeur was recruited to enroll in the École nationale d'administration after graduating, but declined as he preferred to enter the private sector.

## Banking career

After completing his education in 1991, Domeur was hired as an analyst at the investment bank Esschof Willenger, based out of its Danchester office. He was promoted to associate in 1993, and relocated to the Delmas office of the investment bank. In 1997, Domeur became a vice president, but left the bank later that year after opting to relocate to Tahare.

After returning to Tahare, Domeur was hired as a vice president at the investment bank BND Daibas, based out of its Sainte-Anne office. He became a senior vice president in 2003, and later resigned from the bank in 2005, in order to prioritize his political career.

## Political career

### Early politics

Domeur began his political career in 1998, after he was selected by the Republican Party to appear on its party list for the 1998 municipal election in Saint-Pierre. Domeur was ultimately elected to the municipal council, becoming the fourth member of his family to hold political office in Tahare. He was selected to lead the right-wing bloc into the 2004 municipal election, but was defeated by the left-wing bloc led by Sébastien Lacan, despite maintaining his seat on the council. The same year, Domeur was elected to the General Council in the 2004 regional election.

In 2009, Domeur was chosen as the candidate of the Republican Party in Tahare's 7th constituency for the 2009 Maronan legislative election. The seat, which is the most right-leaning in Tahare, had been a prime target of the Republican Party, with Domeur being considered one of the strongest candidates to win the seat given his family's name recognition in Tahare. Domeur went on to narrowly win the election, unseating incumbent Lucie Vidiacharan in the second round of voting. Upon taking his seat on the Chamber of Representatives, he became the second member of his family to be elected to the legislative body, following his father. Domeur was reelected to parliament in competitive elections in 2014 and 2019.

Following the prohibition of dual mandates in Maronan politics on 1 February 2023, Domeur resigned his seat in the Champer of Representatives in addition to his municipal offices, in order to remain in the General Council of Tahare.

### Sauvez Notre Île leader

In 2009, Domeur was confirmed to be the new leader of the center-right Sauvez Notre Île bloc in the upcoming 2010 regional election, following the resignation of Simone Jaffry. He ultimately led the center-right bloc into both the 2010 regional election and the 2010 municipal election in Saint-Pierre, winning the latter while being defeated in the former. After winning the municipal election, Domeur became the mayor of Saint-Pierre, becoming the second member of his family to serve as a municipal mayor, following his mother. In the run-up to the 2016 regional election, Domeur entered negotiations with Véronique Livèze for the Nationalist Movement to join the Sauvez Notre Île alliance for the upcoming election. In January 2016, it was announced that negotiations have taken a negative turn, and later that month, Domeur stated in an interview that the alliance would "never" enter into an agreement with the Nationalist Movement. The alliance was defeated again in the 2016 election, by a wider margin.

Ahead of the 2022 regional election, Domeur faced challenges within his alliance, such as the possibility of Tahare-Marone Avenir aligning with the Nationalist Movement, and leadership challenges from within the Republican Party. Domeur was ultimately able to stave off any challenges to his leadership, and Tahare-Marone Avenir opted to remain within the Sauvez Notre Île alliance. The alliance was once again defeated in the election, despite increasing their share of the vote compared to 2016.

## Personal life

In 1993, Domeur began a relationship with Laëtitia Calvet, a former model and aspiring actress from Charlotte, while they both were residing in Delmas. Domeur and Calvet became engaged in 1997, and moved from Delmas to Tahare together later that year. They later married in January 1999, in a lavish ceremony which was reported on by the Taharian tabloids. Domeur and Calvet have three children together: Océane (born 2000), Léna (born 2002), and Sébastien (born 2004).

Domeur and his family reside in Saint-Pierre, while he also owns an apartment in Cissac, where Domeur resides for his legislative duties with the Chamber of Representatives. Domeur identifies as a Eurean Catholic, while he is fluent in Maronan, Taharian Creole, and Ditrovian.