Marie-Arlette Carlotti (born 21 January 1952 in Béziers) is a French politician of the Socialist Party (PS) who has been serving as a member of the French Senate since 2020, representing Bouches-du-Rhône. She previously was a Member of the European Parliament from south-east of France.

Early life and education

Educated at Paul Cézanne University in Marseille, France

Early career

Political career

Early beginnings

Member of the European Parliament, 1996–2009

As member of the Party of European Socialists, Carlotti served on the European Parliament's Committee on Development. In this capacity, she served as the parliament's rapporteur on the role of migration for development in 2006. She was a substitute for the Committee on Foreign Affairs. In addition to her committee assignments, Carlotti was a vice-chair of the ACP–EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly and a member of the delegations for relations with the Maghreb countries and the Arab Maghreb Union, and to the Euro-Mediterranean Parliamentary Assembly. Carlotti was one of six Members of the European Parliament participating in the European Union's observer mission in Togo for the October 2007 Togolese parliamentary election.

Career in government

On 16 May 2012 Carlotti was appointed by President François Hollande as Junior Minister for the Disabled at the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health, in the government of Prime Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault.

Member of the French Parliament, 2012–2017

Ahead of the 2014 French municipal elections, Carlotti announced her intention to become the Socialist Party's candidate to challenge incumbent Mayor of Marseille Jean-Claude Gaudin; however, she lost her party's primaries against Patrick Mennucci and Samia Ghali. In the Socialist Party's 2018 convention in Aubervilliers, Carlotti publicly endorsed Stéphane Le Foll as candidate for the party's leadership.

Member of the French Senate, 2020–present

In the Senate, Carlotti serves on the Committee on Foreign Affairs and Defense.