Joël Sarlot

Joël Sarlot (5 July 1946 – 10 December 2017) was a French politician and veterinarian.

Born on 5 July 1946 in Belfort,[1][2] Sarlot trained as a veterinarian, and later moved to Nalliers, Vendée.[3] He was a member of the Union for French Democracy and later joined the Movement for France.[2] Sarlot was first elected to the Vendée General Council in 1985 and served until 2015.[3] In 1993, he was seated in the National Assembly for the first time. Sarlot was reelected in 1997, and 2002.[1] However, his 2007 electoral win was invalidated by the Constitutional Council.[2][3] Sarlot was named an alternate to the Assembly by his successor Dominique Souchet, but campaigned for the seat outright in 2012, losing by approximately 1,300 votes to Hugues Fourage.[2][3] Additionally, Sarlot served as president of the Pays-de-l'Hermenault federation (Communauté de communes) from its establishment in 1996 to its merger with Pays de Fontenay in 2016.[1] He actively promoted tourism in Vendée, leading the department's tourism committee until 2013.[1][4] Sarlot resigned as deputy mayor of Saint-Laurent-de-la-Salle in 2017.[1] He died on 10 December 2017, aged 71.[4]