59-500: Félix Jules Méline ( French pronunciation: [ʒyl melin] ; 20 May 1838 – 21 December 1925) was a French statesman, Prime Minister of France from 1896 to 1898. Méline was born at Remiremont . Having taken up law as his profession, he was chosen a deputy in 1872, and in 1879 he was for a short time Under-Secretary to the Minister of the Interior. In 1880 he came to
118-525: A list by an anonymous source containing the names of politicians and others who, it was alleged, had deposited kickbacks from a 1991 arms sale to Taiwan into secret accounts at Clearstream, a private bank in Luxembourg. The most prominent name on the list was that of Nicolas Sarkozy, Villepin's rival for power in the UMP. The list was later shown to be fraudulent, a discovery Villepin kept from the public for 15 months at
177-586: A response to the 2005 riots , was intended to stimulate job growth and reduce the country's high youth unemployment rate by allowing employers to fire employees aged under 26 within the first two years of their employment for any or no reason. Supporters of the law argued that such probationary arrangements are not unusual in Western countries and that the current system in France discourages employers from hiring people whom they may be unable to fire if they prove unsuitable for
236-683: A sale of warships to Taiwan . De Villepin enjoyed a modest return to public favour for his public critique of President Sarkozy's style of "imperial rule". De Villepin has written poetry, a book about poetry, and several historical and political essays, along with a study of Napoleon . He is an honorary member of the International Raoul Wallenberg Foundation . Villepin was born in Rabat , Morocco, and spent some time in Venezuela, where his family lived for four years. He then lived in
295-478: A time when the two men were vying for party supremacy. Meanwhile, the source of the list was later revealed to be a longtime associate of Villepin's, one Jean-Louis Gergorin, an executive at EADS. Critics claimed that Villepin, perhaps with the support of then-president Jacques Chirac, had tried to defame his rival. Sarkozy, in turn, filed a suit against whoever was behind the creation of the Clearstream list. Villepin
354-532: Is a French politician who served as Prime Minister of France from 31 May 2005 to 17 May 2007 under President Jacques Chirac . In his career working at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs , De Villepin rose through the ranks of the French right as one of Chirac's protégés. He came into the international spotlight as Minister of Foreign Affairs with his opposition to the 2003 invasion of Iraq , one year after his appointment to
413-530: Is named after him. Méline's Ministry, 29 April 1896 – 28 June 1898: Changes Prime Minister of France The prime minister of France (French: Premier ministre français ), officially the prime minister of the French Republic ( Premier ministre de la République française ), is the head of government of the French Republic and the leader of its Council of Ministers . The prime minister
472-487: Is not from an aristocratic background. His ancestors added the particle "de" to the family name. His great-grandfather was a colonel in the French army, his grandfather was a board member for several companies, and his father Xavier de Villepin was a diplomat and a member of the Senate . Villepin speaks French, English and Spanish. When his mother died, Villepin gave a eulogy "full of the grandest and most sonorous cadences of
531-462: Is not the first "unelected" prime minister, even in the relatively short history of the Fifth Republic : notable predecessors include Georges Pompidou , who was a banker before being called to office, and Raymond Barre , who had a previous career as a professor and appointed official, and started an elected career only after being Prime minister. On the first day of the civil trial for his part in
590-464: Is president of the advisory board of Universal Credit Rating Group , a Sino-Russo-American bond credit rating agency, and international advisor to China Minsheng Bank . From November 2008 until June 2009, de Villepin chaired a six-member panel of EU experts advising the Bulgarian government. Set up by Bulgaria's prime minister Sergei Stanishev , the advisory board was mandated to recommend ways to help
649-528: Is the holder of the second-highest office in France, after the president of France . The president, who appoints but cannot dismiss the prime minister, can request resignation. The Government of France , including the prime minister, can be dismissed by the National Assembly . Upon appointment, the prime minister proposes a list of ministers to the president. Decrees and decisions signed by the prime minister, like almost all executive decisions, are subject to
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#1732854820398708-672: Is the only member of the government able to introduce legislation in Parliament. Under the Third Republic , the French Constitutional Laws of 1875 titled the head of government as the "President of the Council of Ministers" ( French : Président du Conseil des Ministres ), though he was informally called "prime minister" or "premier" outside of France . The president of the council was vested with similar formal powers to those of
767-712: The Bugshan family conglomerate have all been clients. and he has a close relationship with Al-Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani and her mother Moza bint Nasser . He advocated forcefully the Palestinian cause during the 2014 Israel–Gaza conflict , at the request of the Qataris, and protested the French legal ban on Islamic facial veils for women in 2014. De Villepin counsels the Qatar Investment Authority . He
826-535: The CPE is formally still valid, the government promised to hinder its application and initiated a new legal initiative which will abolish the key points of the CPE . During the protests, Villepin was widely perceived as stubborn and arrogant. As a consequence, his popularity rates went down rapidly and he was no longer regarded as a serious contender for the 2007 presidential election. Another major issue in Villepin's government
885-494: The Fifth Republic . It was at this point that the post was formally named "Prime Minister" and took its present form. The 1958 Constitution includes several provisions intended to strengthen the prime minister's position, for instance by restricting the legislature's power to censure the government. As a result, a prime minister has only been censured once during the existence of the Fifth Republic, in 1962 when Georges Pompidou
944-513: The Foreign Minister in Édouard Balladur 's cabinet, who was Chirac's political heir apparent . Villepin then became director of Chirac's successful 1995 presidential campaign and was rewarded with the key job of Secretary-General of the Élysée Palace during Chirac's first term as President of the Republic (1995–2002). He advised the president to hold an early general election in 1997, while
1003-587: The French National Assembly was overwhelmingly dominated by the president's party. This was a risky gamble, and Chirac's party went on to lose the elections. Villepin offered Chirac his resignation afterwards, but it was turned down. Villepin's flawed advice on the election increased the perception among many politicians on the right that Villepin had no experience or understanding of grassroots politics, and owed his enviable position only to being Chirac's protégé. Villepin has had an uneasy relationship with
1062-766: The legislative election of 1986 . While Mitterrand's Socialist Party was the largest party in the National Assembly, it did not have an absolute majority. The RPR had an alliance with the Union for French Democracy , which gave them a majority. While prime ministers are usually chosen from amongst the ranks of the National Assembly, on rare occasions the president has selected a non-officeholder because of experience in bureaucracy or foreign service, or success in business management—former Minister of Foreign Affairs Dominique de Villepin , for example, served as prime minister from 2005 to 2007 without having held elected office. Although
1121-457: The prime minister of the United Kingdom . In practice, this proved insufficient to command the confidence of France's multi-party parliament. Most notably, the legislature had the power to force the entire cabinet out of office by a vote of censure . As a result, cabinets were often toppled twice a year, and there were long stretches where France was left with only a caretaker government. Under
1180-465: The 2007 presidential contest. However, Nicolas Sarkozy was chosen to represent the centre-right UMP party. On 29 May 2005, French voters in the referendum on the Treaty establishing a Constitution for Europe turned down the proposed document by a wide margin. Two days later, Raffarin resigned and Chirac appointed Villepin as Prime Minister of France . In an address to the nation, Chirac had declared that
1239-597: The CPE but called for negotiations on adapting it. The demonstrators for the most part called for the complete withdrawal of the CPE. The CPE was withdrawn by Jacques Chirac on 10 April. On 20 June 2006, during the questions to government in the National Assembly , Dominique de Villepin accused the head of the Socialist Party François Hollande of cowardice. Hollande had questioned the Prime Minister about
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#17328548203981298-424: The Clearstream affair, Villepin accused President Sarkozy of pursuing him for political reasons. Sarkozy has the status of a civil plaintiff in the case. On Thursday, 28 January 2010, the judgement was finally handed down and Villepin was acquitted of every accusation against him in the affair. The following morning the prosecution announced that it would file an appeal against this verdict, thus further dragging out
1357-585: The Constitution, the prime minister "shall direct the actions of the Government". Additionally, Article 20 stipulates that the government "shall determine and conduct the policy of the Nation", and it includes domestic issues, while the president concentrates on formulating directions on national defense and foreign policy while arbitrating the efficient service of all governmental authorities in France. Other members of
1416-509: The French investigating judge Sabine Kheris requested that a case be referred to the Court of Justice of the Republic. Three former ministers, Dominique de Villepin, Michel Barnier and Michèle Alliot-Marie , were suspected of having allowed the exfiltration of the mercenaries responsible for the attack on the Bouaké camp in 2004, killing nine French soldiers. The operation was allegedly intended to justify
1475-693: The French language", wrote The Independent (UK) in 2010. He "spoke of his mother's passionate belief in the greatness and the destiny of France, and, implicitly, the greatness and destiny of her son". One mourner stated that he seemed to speak "of France and of himself as being the same thing". Villepin studied at the Institut d'Études Politiques de Paris (Sciences Po) and went on to the École nationale d'administration (ENA), France's highly selective post-graduate school which trains its top civil servants. Villepin also holds degrees in Civil law and French literature from
1534-545: The Netherlands in referendums. After Pope Benedict XVI was widely chastized for appearing to criticize Islam in a speech on 12 September 2006, French author Robert Redeker came to the pontiff's defense, in response to which he received death threats that forced him and his family to go into hiding. Villepin commented that "everyone has the right to express their opinions freely – at the same time that they respect others, of course". The lesson of this episode, according to Villepin,
1593-528: The U.S., and has said that he "grew up in the United States". During his teenage years, "the ' Beat generation ' movement left its mark on me, so did the hippie movement". He was inspired by Jack Kerouac and other American poets. He graduated from the Lycée Français de New York in 1971. He has three children: Marie (b. 1986), Arthur, and Victoire (b. 1989). Contrary to what his surname suggests, Villepin
1652-473: The UMP party, believed that France's workforce rules were too rigid and discouraged employment, and that some liberalizing reforms were necessary in order to "correct" the French social model. On 2 August 2005 he issued ordinances establishing a new kind of work contract (called CNE ) for small enterprises, with fewer guarantees than ordinary contracts. While Villepin's measures would surely have been approved by his wide UMP majority in Parliament. Villepin said
1711-489: The affair another year. Villepin was finally cleared by an appeals court in September 2011. Soon after his exit from daily political life, on 9 January 2008 de Villepin returned to legal practice. Since then, he has travelled on business to Iran, Argentina, Venezuela and Colombia. Over its first two years, the bureau had revenues of 4.65 million euros and earned profit of 2.6 million. Alstom , TotalEnergies and Veolia and
1770-622: The beginning of Chirac's second term in 2002. During the 2004 coup d'état in Haiti, Villepin obtained the backing of the United States Secretary of State , Colin Powell , in his bid to oust Jean-Bertrand Aristide from power. Villepin's most famous assignment as Chirac's foreign minister was opposing the U.S. plan to invade Iraq , giving France a leading role in the grouping of countries such as Germany, Belgium, Russia and China that opposed
1829-509: The cabinet to form a close-knit and more efficient team to combat unemployment. The economy was growing sluggishly and a significant drop in unemployment was yet to be seen. Villepin's aim was therefore to restore the French people's trust in their government, an achievement for which he publicly set himself a deadline of a hundred days from the appointment of cabinet. Another issue was the European Constitution , rejected by France and
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1888-412: The circumstances, the president of the council was usually a fairly weak figure whose strength was more dependent on charisma than formal powers. Often, he was little more than primus inter pares , and was more the cabinet's chairman than its leader. After several unsuccessful attempts to strengthen the role in the first half of the twentieth century, a semi-presidential system was introduced under
1947-503: The confidence of the Chamber of Deputies following the 1898 French legislative election , being succeeded as Premier by Henri Brisson . At one time he edited La République francaise , and after his retirement from public life he wrote Le Retour de la terre et Ia surproduction industrielle, tout en faveur de l'agriculture (1905). The French protectionist measure of 1892, the Méline tariff ,
2006-504: The country adjust to EU membership . In 2010, Villepin quit the UMP and set up a new party, République Solidaire , with the aim of running for president in the 2012 elections. He advocated the rewithdrawal of France from the NATO integrated military command. However, he failed to secure the 500 necessary "parrainages" endorsements from elected officials in the preliminaries to the presidential race, and his candidacy did not proceed. In 2016,
2065-455: The fore as the leading spokesman of the party which favoured the protection of French industries, and he had a considerable share in fashioning the protectionist legislation of the years 1890–1902. From 1883 to 1885, Méline was Minister for Agriculture, and in 1888–1889 he was President of the Chamber of Deputies . In 1896 he became Premier ( Président du Conseil ) and Minister for Agriculture. His tenure in these roles ended in 1898, after losing
2124-524: The government are appointed by the president "on the recommendation of the prime minister". In practice, the prime minister acts in harmony with the president, except when there is a cohabitation . During cohabitation, according to the Constitutional Council, "the center of gravity of power shifts from the Elysée to Matignon", with the president losing his status as head of the executive. In such cases,
2183-407: The government needed to act fast, especially when Parliament was going on its summer recess. On 16 January 2006 he announced a similar kind of work contract (called Contrat première embauche , or CPE ) for young people (under 26). The parliament approved on 8 February. Subsequently, students started to protest . This wave of protest eventually forced the government to give in. Although the law on
2242-519: The government still has support in the house, some bills that might prove too controversial to pass through the normal assembly rules are able to be passed this way. The prime minister may also submit a bill that has not been yet signed into law to the Constitutional Council (article 61). Before dissolving the assembly, the president must consult the prime minister and the presidents of both houses of Parliament (article 12). The prime minister
2301-582: The invasion. The speech he gave to the UN to block a second resolution allowing the use of force against Saddam Hussein 's regime received loud applause. During mid-2003 Villepin organized the Opération 14 juillet that attempted to rescue his former student, Ingrid Betancourt , who was being held by FARC rebels in Colombia. The operation failed, and because he had neither informed Colombia, Brazil, nor President Chirac of
2360-572: The job. Critics argued that the CPE discriminated unnecessarily against the young and decreases job security. The union movement issued an ultimatum to Villepin to scrap the law by 20 March or face a general strike. This ultimatum expired without concession. A general strike was called for 28 March. On 28 March, between one and three million people demonstrated across France. The protests were accompanied by some violence and 800 people were arrested, 500 of them in Paris. Prime Minister Villepin refused to withdraw
2419-513: The law. While Sarkozy created the French Council of the Muslim Faith , an official body which is now dominated by Orthodoxes, Villepin would have preferred a "Muslim foundation", in which mosque-based representatives would be balanced by secular Muslims. He also cracked down on radical Muslim clerics, causing an uproar when he tried to expel Abdelkader Bouziane, an imam alleged to have said to
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2478-409: The members of his own political side. He has in the past made a number of demeaning remarks about members of parliament from his own party. In addition, the mutual distaste between Villepin and Nicolas Sarkozy , head of the Union for a Popular Movement (UMP) majority party, is well known. He was appointed Minister of Foreign Affairs by Chirac in the cabinet of Prime Minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin at
2537-511: The mission, it resulted in a political scandal. During the cabinet reshuffle that made Nicolas Sarkozy Finance Minister , Villepin was appointed to replace him as interior minister on 31 March 2004. His actions against radical Islam included mandatory courses for Muslim clerics, notably in the French language (as indications were that one-third of them may not have been fluent in the national language), in moderate Muslim theology and in French secularism: laïcité , Republican principles and
2596-399: The new cabinet's top priority would be to curb unemployment, which was consistently hovering above 10%, calling for a "national mobilization" to that effect. Villepin's cabinet was marked by its small membership (for France), and its hierarchical unity: all members had the rank of Minister, and there were no Secretaries of State, the lowest cabinet member rank. The aim of this decision was for
2655-608: The office of prime minister and it was accepted by the President. He was replaced two days later by François Fillon . De Villepin has never held elected office; the French Constitution allows the president to appoint unelected ministers. This is a political liability for him, because he is periodically accused of being out of touch with the realities of ordinary citizens. He is also reported to despise elected officials, calling members of Parliament connards (assholes). Villepin
2714-571: The office, which culminated with a speech to the United Nations. Before his tenure as prime minister, he also served as Minister of the Interior (2004–2005). After being replaced by François Fillon as prime minister, De Villepin was indicted in connection with the Clearstream affair ; he was subsequently cleared of charges of complicity in allowing false accusations to proceed against presidential rival Nicolas Sarkozy regarding bribes paid on
2773-466: The oversight of the administrative court system. Some decrees are taken after advice from the Council of State (French: Conseil d'État ), over which the prime minister is entitled to preside. Ministers defend the programmes of their ministries to the prime minister, who makes budgetary choices. The extent to which those decisions lie with the prime minister or president often depends upon whether they are of
2832-405: The power to force the resignation of the government by adopting a motion of no confidence , the choice of prime minister must reflect the will of the majority in the National Assembly. In periods of cohabitation , the prime minister is only responsible to the parliament. One example of cohabitation includes President François Mitterrand 's appointment of Jacques Chirac as prime minister after
2891-429: The president's choice of prime minister must be in accordance with the majority in the National Assembly, a prime minister does not have to ask for a vote of confidence after a government formation, having been legitimized by the president's assignment and approval of the government. Prior to the 1958 Constitution, the government was required to pass a motion of confidence upon entering office. According to article 21 of
2950-457: The press that, according to Ancient Islamic texts, adulterous people could be whipped or stoned . When the decision to expel him was overturned by the courts, because of the journalistic reporting of LyonMag was deemed biased, Villepin pushed a change of the law through Parliament, and Bouziane was sent home. President Chirac was at one point thought to have turned his eye on Villepin as a possible successor, assuming that he himself would not enter
3009-461: The prime minister traditionally exercises primacy in domestic affairs, while the president limits their action to defense and, to a lesser degree, to foreign affairs. The prime minister can "engage the responsibility" of the government before the National Assembly. This process consists of placing a bill before the assembly, and either the assembly overthrows the government, or the bill is passed automatically (article 49). In addition to ensuring that
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#17328548203983068-685: The recent " insider trading " scandal involving the aerospace company EADS and executive Noël Forgeard . This triggered an incident in the Assembly, with Socialist deputies converging on the government benches until they were stopped by the Assembly ushers. Hollande demanded apologies and the resignation of the Prime Minister; the next day, Dominique de Villepin apologized. This event resulted in criticism even from Villepin's own UMP party, with UMP parliamentarians including Assembly vice-president Yves Bur suggesting that president Chirac should appoint another prime minister. In 2004, French judges were given
3127-423: The same political party. If so, the president may serve as both the head of state and de facto head of government, while the prime minister serves as his deputy. The current prime minister is Michel Barnier , who was appointed on 5 September 2024. The prime minister is appointed by the president of France , who is theoretically free to pick anyone for the post. In practice, because the National Assembly has
3186-556: The universities of Panthéon-Assas and Paris X Nanterre . At the end of his studies, he completed his military service as a naval officer on board the Aircraft Carrier Clemenceau . Villepin then entered a career in diplomacy. His assignments were: Villepin was introduced to Jacques Chirac in the early 1980s and became one of his advisers on foreign policy. In 1993 he became chief of staff ( directeur de cabinet ) of Alain Juppé ,
3245-504: Was "how vigilant we must be to ensure that people fully respect one another in our society". Some had speculated that Villepin, with his diplomatic experience and the prestige associated with the job of prime minister, would negotiate a new treaty with the European Union , while Sarkozy would run the country at home. However, Villepin obtained favorable reviews from the press and temporarily increased popularity in polls. In particular, he
3304-460: Was eventually acquitted in 2010 (see #Clearstream trial below). There was speculation that Villepin might be a candidate in the 2007 Presidential election ; Interior minister Nicolas Sarkozy was selected unopposed as the UMP's presidential candidate on 14 January 2007. On 12 March 2007 Villepin formally endorsed Sarkozy for President. On 15 May 2007, the last full day of President Jacques Chirac 's term, Villepin tendered his resignation from
3363-437: Was increasingly cited as a possible presidential candidate for 2007 , although Nicolas Sarkozy had publicly stated that he himself was giving considerable attention to that election. Villepin and Sarkozy initially avoided any open division. Villepin declared that lowering unemployment was the number one objective of his government (which had also been stated by other prime ministers before him, albeit to no avail). He, as well as
3422-553: Was the state of the national budget. France runs high deficits, which run afoul of the rules set in the EU Maastricht Treaty . Villepin's margin of maneuver in that respect was extremely slim. Ministers Delegate ministers 26 March 2007: 5 April 2007: On Thursday, 16 March 2006, tens of thousands of French university and school students marched to demand the government scrap a contentious youth jobs clause, known as First Employment Contract (CPE). The law, intended as
3481-540: Was toppled over opposition objections to President Charles de Gaulle 's effort to have the president popularly elected. At the ensuing 1962 French legislative election , de Gaulle's coalition won an increased majority, and Pompidou was reappointed prime minister. Dominique de Villepin Dominique Marie François René Galouzeau de Villepin ( French pronunciation: [dɔminik maʁi fʁɑ̃swa ʁəne ɡaluzo də vilpɛ̃] ; born 14 November 1953)
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