He is currently a member of the Senate of France and has been a French junior minister under Jacques Chirac.

[1] Flosse supports the current autonomy arrangement between French Polynesia and France and has led the conservative pro-autonomy and anti-independence party Tahoera'a Huiraatira (People's Rally for the Republic Party) for more than 20 years.

Shortly after, though, his party lost the parliamentary elections, and on June 15, he left office when the parliament, the Assembly of French Polynesia (Assemblée de la Polynésie française), elected the pro-independence leader, Oscar Temaru, to the post.

On 22 October 2004 he was re-elected to the presidency, and he took office that day, although doubt was cast on the legitimacy of this election by Antony Géros, the President of the French Polynesia Assembly (see French Polynesia political crisis 2004).

On 13 February 2005 Flosse's party lost the parliamentary by-elections, which had been called as a compromise after pressure from Temaru's supporters.

On 15 February 2005 Flosse lost the presidency again in a parliamentary confidence vote, and on 3 March 2005 Temaru took over.

He is the mayor of Pirea municipality north of Papeete and has represented the territory in the National Assembly of France.

This relationship gave the Tahitian special access to the highest levels of power in France, which he utilised in negotiating aid packages and financial support for the territory.

The court found that he had abused his political office in connection with a hotel purchase.