Olivier Besancenot

Olivier Christophe Besancenot (French pronunciation: [ɔlivje kʁistɔf bəzɑ̃sno]; born 18 April 1974) is a French left-wing political figure and trade unionist, and the founding main spokesperson of the New Anticapitalist Party (Nouveau parti anticapitaliste, NPA) from 2009 to 2011.

He was a candidate for the 2007 French presidential election, for the Ligue communiste révolutionnaire (LCR), the French section of the Fourth International. He gained 1.2 million votes, 4.25%, standing as a revolutionary socialist in the 2002 presidential elections. In the first round of the 2007 presidential election, Besancenot received 4.08% of the vote, just short of 1.5 million votes, placing him fifth and eliminating him from the race.

In May 2011, Besancenot announced that he would not be standing in the 2012 presidential election. He was succeeded as main spokesperson of the NPA by Myriam Martin, who later left the NPA to found Gauche Anticapitaliste (Anticapitalist Left), and Christine Poupin, joined by Philippe Poutou, who was the NPA presidential candidate in 2012. Olivier Besancenot was born on 18 April 1974 in Levallois-Perret in the Hauts-de-Seine region. His father was a teacher, and his mother a psychologist at a school.

He studied history at University of Paris X (Nanterre), gaining a degree in contemporary history. Since 1997, he has worked as a postal carrier in Neuilly-sur-Seine, a suburb of Paris, and is often dismissed by his right-wing opponents as "The Red Postman".