Strasbourg (F), 24 April 2008

Ile-de-France (F) Vice-President Michèle Sabban was this week appointed Acting President of the Assembly of European Regions (AER). She will be Acting President until AER’s General Assembly appoints a new President in November.

“I regret Riccardo Illy’s departure from the AER Presidency, to which he brought a new essential dimension. I will do my best to continue on with his achievements and secure the AER`s place in the European political landscape” said Michèle Sabban upon her appointment. “My region, Ile-de-France, is happy to assume the AER presidency for some months at the time of the French presidency of the EU. This ‘double presidency’ shows perfectly our involvement in European politics”.

Ms. Sabban’s appointment follows the departure of Riccardo Illy, who has retired from politics after his defeat in regional elections last week. He had been seeking a second term as President of the Friuli Venezia Giulia region (I). According to AER’s Statute, in the case of a President losing a regional mandate, one of AER’s Vice-Presidents is appointed Acting President until the end of the existing President’s AER mandate. Mr. Illy’s second two-year term as AER President was due to expire at the end of this year.

Riccardo Illy was elected as President by AER’s General Assembly in 2004 and again in 2006. He now plans to return to his family business interests.

Michèle Sabban has been Vice-President of Ile-de-France since 1998, President of the AER Working Group on Equal Opportunities since 2004 and AER Vice-President since 2006.

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