When he left the ENA in June 1982, Lataste was named civil administrator 2nd class of the Ministry of Interior and Decentralization.[5] In September, he became sub-prefect, director of the cabinet of the Commissioner of the Republic of Vaucluse.[6] In October 1983, he was appointed sub-prefect outside the framework and became director of Pierre Mauroy's cabinet in Lille. In 1985, he became secretary general of the prefecture of Deux-Sèvres.[1] He was reinstated as a civil administrator and became secretary general of New Caledonia. He stayed there for three years, and in October 1994 became sub-prefect of Senlis. He was chief of staff to Secretary of State for Overseas Jean-Jack Queyranne from 1997 to 2000. At the end of this year, he becomes prefect, government delegate, High Commissioner of the Republic in New Caledonia.[7] In 2002, he became the prefect of Savoie, then two years later, prefect of Pyrénées-Orientales. He later became prefect of Vendée, and prefect of Saône-et-Loire.[8][9]
On 19 December 2012 he was appointed chief of staff to the Minister of the Interior Manuel Valls.[11]
On 3 January 2015 he was appointed chief of staff of the president of the Republic François Hollande and personal representative of the president of the Republic as Co-Prince in Andorra, replacing Sylvie Hubac as of 5 January 2015.[9] He was assisted by Constance Rivière.[12]
He performed this function until 25 May 2016, the date on which he was appointed High Commissioner of the Republic in New Caledonia[13] with the charge of organizing the 2018 referendum on the independence of New Caledonia.[14][15] On 15 June 2016 he was replaced by Jean-Pierre Hugues, a retired prefect.[16]
New Caledonia
As chief of staff to Secretary of State for Overseas Jean-Jack Queyranne from 1997 to 2000, Thierry Lataste negotiated with New Caledonians following the Matignon agreements of 1988, he was one of the main negotiators of the Nouméa Accord that he signed on 5 May 1998 as representative of the Secretary of State for Overseas.[17] From July 1999 until 2002, he was appointed the high commissioner of the Republic in New Caledonia.[18]
Significant actions
As the high commissioner of the Republic in New Caledonia, he was especially confronted with the violent clashes which from December 2001 opposed certain Kanak inhabitants of the Saint-Louis tribe to members of the Wallisian and Futunian community.[19]
^Cazaumayou, Jérôme; de Dekker, Thomas (1999). GABRIEL PAÏTA, TÉMOIGNAGE KANAK D'Opao au pays de la Nouvelle-Calédonie [GABRIEL PAÏTA, TESTIMONY KANAK From Opao to the land of New Caledonia] (in French). Editions L'Harmattan. p. 217. ISBN9782296394544.
