Jacques Donnay

Jacques Donnay (7 January 1925 – 13 March 2024) was a French politician of the Rally for the Republic (RPR).

Born in Lille on 7 January 1925, Donnay was elected president of the General Council of Nord in 1992. In 1998, he did not seek re-election to his mandate in the Canton of Lille-Centre [fr]. He was succeeded at the helm by socialist Bernard Derosier. He also served as a member of the European Parliament from 1994 to 1999. He replaced Jean-Paul Bataille [fr] in the Senate after his death in 1999, serving until 2001.

Passionate for tennis, Donnay was president of the Ligue de Flandres for 25 years. In January 2018, the commune of La Madeleine named their racquet center after him.

Jacques Donnay died on 13 March 2024, at the age of 99.