Community : French Consular Elections in Cambodia: Five Lists

The French Embassy in Phnom Penh has announced the closure of the application period for the election on 31 May 2026. In the single electoral constituency that is Cambodia, five lists are officially registered.

From left to right: Mr. Florian Bohême, Mr. Matthias Vazquez, Mr. Jean Lestienne, Mr. Bruno Bogvad and Ms. Cendy Lacroix

If the order of filing has been made public, the order of presentation of the ballots in the voting booth will be determined by a lottery to be held shortly at the consular post, in the presence of any candidates who wish to attend.

This election is intended to allow the approximately 7,500 French citizens registered on the electoral lists in the Kingdom to elect their consular councillors and consular delegates.

Elected local representatives, volunteer but compensated

Consular councillors – formerly known as “consular councillors” – are local elected officials who represent the French citizens listed on the consular registers of a given constituency. Their mandate, lasting six years, is exercised on a voluntary basis. They are not employees of the embassy or the consulate, but citizens elected to office who also pursue a professional career.

Their missions are varied: they sit on the consular council – chaired by the ambassador or the consul general – where they deliberate on issues affecting the daily life of French citizens. They allocate school scholarships for French children enrolled in schools of the AEFE network, as well as social assistance for French citizens in difficulty. They act as the link between fellow citizens and the consular administration and participate in the election of the 12 senators representing French citizens living abroad.

Among the 442 consular councillors, 90 also sit on the Assembly of French Citizens Abroad (AFE), a national advisory body that meets twice a year in Paris.

While the mandate is voluntary, councillors receive a semi‑annual allowance – around 1,800 euros – intended to cover lump‑sum expenses incurred in the performance of their duties (travel, organization of events, etc.). AFE members additionally benefit from reimbursement of travel and accommodation expenses for the sessions in Paris.

Five lists, five sensitivities

Here, in order of filing, are the competing lists:

• « Français au Cambodge – Plus Forts Ensemble ! » – Tête de liste : M. Florian Bohême.

• « ENSEMBLE, LE MEILLEUR EST POSSIBLE » – Tête de liste : M. Bruno Bogvad.

• « A.S.F.C. Alliance Solidaire des Français du Cambodge » – Tête de liste : M. Jean Lestienne.

• « Cendy LACROIX, un expert au cœur de l’action consulaire » – Tête de liste : Mme Cendy Lacroix.

• « Le Relais citoyen des Français du Cambodge » – Tête de liste : M. Matthias Vazquez.

The first four lists bear titles that immediately signal their positioning – between rallying, social pragmatism, territorial solidarity, or individual expertise. The fifth, led by Matthias Vazquez, focuses on mediation and conveying the community’s concerns.

Florian Bohême, political continuity

At 41, Florian Bohême, head of the list “French in Cambodia – Stronger Together!”, is one of the outgoing councillors. He chairs the Social Affairs Committee of the Assembly of French Citizens Abroad (AFE). Settled in Cambodia since 2014, he formerly served as chief of staff to the Minister for Francophonie and now runs a consultancy firm in the hotel sector. He advocates the renewal of the consular political class and campaigns for better social protection for expatriates.

Bruno Bogvad, the figure of mutual aid

Bruno Bogvad, 74, heads the list “Together, the best is possible.” A former garage owner from Bordeaux who has lived in Cambodia for over fifteen years, he is president of the French Mutual Aid Association in Cambodia (AEFC). This organization provides medical assistance, visits to French citizens in detention, and repatriations. His commitment, regularly praised by consular services, is resolutely focused on social action, without any declared partisan affiliation.

Jean Lestienne, territorial anchoring

Jean Lestienne, 72, leads the list “A.S.F.C. – Solidarity Alliance of French in Cambodia.” A former outgoing councillor, he long headed the AEFC branch in Siem Reap before serving in Phnom Penh. A retiree settled in the country for about a decade, he concentrates his efforts on educational matters and support for French‑sector schools outside the capital.

Cendy Lacroix, consular expertise front and center

The only woman heading a list in this election, Cendy Lacroix, has made expertise her banner. Her list highlights a technical approach to consular files. Her professional background in business services and her knowledge of bureaucratic machinery are the main arguments she puts forward against opponents who are often experienced in electoral politics.

Matthias Vazquez, the citizens’ relay

The fifth list, “The Citizens’ Relay of French in Cambodia,” is led by Matthias Vazquez. Its title sums up his positioning: an undertaking to ensure active listening and an accurate relay of the community’s concerns, presenting himself as an intermediary between voters and consular institutions. His list seeks to embody an independent alternative, breaking with the formations stemming from the previous mandate.

Why it is important to vote

Consular elections may at first glance seem like a technical and distant vote. Yet, for French citizens in Cambodia, the choice of their representatives will have concrete repercussions on their daily lives.

Contrary to received ideas, councillors are not mere ceremonial representatives. They have real decision‑making powers: they examine and vote on the allocation of school scholarships – a crucial aid for many expatriate families. They deliberate on grants and assistance given to French citizens in situations of vulnerability – isolated elderly people, struggling families, emergencies. They also allocate public funding to mutual‑aid associations.

Together with consular delegates, they are the privileged interlocutors of fellow citizens with the embassy and the consulate. They convey citizens’ voices, report the difficulties encountered – in civil‑status matters, security, mobility, or access to public services – and ensure that the administration responds to the community’s needs.

Beyond the constituency, 90 of them sit on the Assembly of French Citizens Abroad (AFE), which advises the government on policies for expatriates: social protection, taxation, education, international mobility. By voting, electors help choose those who will make Cambodia’s voice heard in these national debates.

Another often overlooked issue: consular councillors, together with consular delegates and parliamentarians, form the electoral college that elects the 12 senators representing French citizens living abroad. To vote for a councillor is therefore also, indirectly, to influence the composition of the Senate.

Their commitment is disinterested, grounded in a desire to serve the community. Yet their effectiveness depends on electoral turnout: high participation strengthens their legitimacy and their weight in negotiations with consular authorities.

At a time when the French community continues to grow in Cambodia – more than 7,500 registered citizens, not counting many unregistered French – the challenges are numerous: improving access to consular services, supporting schools, reinforcing mutual aid, preserving links between generations and regions.

The five competing lists propose sometimes divergent visions.But one fact remains certain: abstention deprives the community of legitimate representatives and weakens the voice of French citizens vis‑à‑vis the authorities.

Full composition of the lists

In accordance with the order issued by the embassy, below is the complete composition of the five lists, in order of filing:

Liste n° 1 – « Français au Cambodge – Plus Forts Ensemble ! »

1. M. Florian BOHEME

2. Mme Christine GAUTHIER

3. M. Bernard PODEVIN

4. Mme Mona HARD

5. M. Guillaume TAING

6. Mme Caroline LOEUM GRELIER

Liste n° 2 – « ENSEMBLE, LE MEILLEUR EST POSSIBLE »

1. M. Bruno BOGVAD

2. Mme Marie-Noëlle, Yvette, Christiane BUISARD

3. M. Christophe, Marie, Jacques SAVOURE

4. Mme Socheata NEUV

5. M. Bun Chéa CHHUON

6. Mme Ermine NORODOM

Liste n° 3 – « A.S.F.C. Alliance Solidaire des Français du Cambodge »

1. M. Jean LESTIENNE

2. Mme Isabelle ROBERT

3. M. Jean-Benoît LASSELIN

4. Mme Audrey FENOUIL

5. M. Victor BOISSEL

6. Mme Sandrine STEINBERG

Liste n° 4 – « Cendy LACROIX, un expert au cœur de l’action consulaire »

1. Mme Cendy LACROIX

2. M. Marc, Antoine DELVALLEE

3. Mme Chanthou RET

4. M. David CHOUN

5. Mme Françoise MARTIN

6. M. Eric BOUHELIER

Liste n° 5 – « Le Relais citoyen des Français du Cambodge »

1. M. Matthias VAZQUEZ

2. Mme Sathya SOR

3. M. Eric MOUSSET

4. Mme Kaliane TEA

5. M. Lyvann LOEUK

6. Mme Cécile HAUTEMULLE

The electoral campaign officially opens with the publication of the decree. The draw, which will determine the order of the ballots, will be organized in the coming days. Voters are expected on May 31 at the polling stations in Phnom Penh and, for the first time, in those of Siem Reap, where a new office has been opened to relieve congestion in the capital.