Jean-Pierre Raffarin
OfficePrime Minister of France
Term start6 May 2002
Term end31 May 2005
PresidentJacques Chirac
PredecessorLionel Jospin
SuccessorDominique de Villepin
Office 2Member of the Senate
Term start 218 September 2005
Term end 24 October 2017
Constituency 2Vienne
Term start 31 October 2004
Term end 31 November 2004
Constituency 3Vienne
Term start 421 September 1997
Term end 46 June 2002
Constituency 4Vienne
Term start 52 October 1995
Term end 531 October 1995
Constituency 5Vienne
Office 6Minister of Small and Medium Enterprises, Commerce and Crafts
Term start 618 May 1995
Term end 64 June 1997
Prime minister 6Alain Juppé
Predecessor 6Alain Madelin
Successor 6Marylise Lebranchu
Office 7Member of the European Parliament
Term start 725 July 1989
Term end 718 May 1995
Constituency 7France
Office 8President of the Regional Council of Poitou-Charentes
Term start 819 December 1988
Term end 88 May 2002
Predecessor 8Louis Fruchard
Successor 8Élisabeth Morin
Birth date3 August 1948 (age 78)
Birth placePoitiers, France
SpouseAnne-Marie Perrier (m. 29 June 1980)
PartyThe Republicans (2015–present)
Other partyLiberal Democracy (before 2002)
UMP (2002–2015)
Alma materPanthéon-Assas University
ESCP Business School

Jean-Pierre Raffarin (ʒɑ̃pjɛʁ ʀafaʁɛ̃; born 3 August 1948) is a French politician who served as Prime Minister of France from 6 May 2002 to 31 May 2005 under President Jacques Chirac.

He resigned after France's rejection of the referendum on the European Union draft constitution. However, after Raffarin resigned, he said that his decision was not based on the outcome of the vote. Opinion polls following his resignation suggested that Raffarin was one of France's least popular prime ministers since the Fifth Republic was established in 1958. However, according to the book France: 1815–2003, written by Martin Evans and Emmanuel Godin, Raffarin was "a remarkably popular Prime Minister" despite his ability "to state the obvious and to make empty statements".

He was also Vice President of the Senate from 2011 to 2014.

Early life

Born 3 August 1948, Raffarin grew up in Poitiers, the son of a prominent national figure: his father Jean Raffarin was vice-minister of Agriculture in the government of Pierre Mendès France (1954–1955).[1] He studied law at Université Paris-Panthéon-Assas[2] and later graduated from the École Supérieure de Commerce de Paris. He started his professional career in marketing.

In the 1970s, his first political commitment was in the association of Valéry Giscard d'Estaing's young supporters. Defining himself as a "giscardien", he joined the staff of Lionel Stoléru, Secretary of state for Manual Workers and Immigration, and the Republican Party, the liberal-conservative component of the centre-right confederation the Union for French Democracy (UDF).

Political career

In the 1980s, he started a career in local politics in Poitou-Charentes region. With the support of René Monory, the local political leader, he took the chair of the regional council in 1988. Seven years later, he was elected senator of Vienne département.

Governmental functions

  • Prime Minister : 2002–2005.
  • Minister of Small and Medium Enterprises, Commerce and Craft : 1995–1997.

Electoral mandates

European Parliament

Senate of France

  • Senator of Vienne : Elected in 1995, but he stays minister / 1997–2002 (became prime minister in 2002) / Re-elected in 2004, but he stays prime Minister / Since 2005. Elected in 1995, re-elected in 1997, 2004, 2005, 2008.

Regional Council

  • President of the Regional Council of Poitou-Charentes : 1988–2002 (Resignation). Re-elected in 1992, 1998.
  • Vice-President of the Regional Council of Poitou-Charentes : 2002–2004.
  • Regional councillor of Poitou-Charentes : 1986–2004. Reelected in 1992, 1998.

Municipal Council

Political functions

In Government

During the 1995 presidential campaign, while most UDF politicians supported Édouard Balladur, he chose the winning candidacy of Jacques Chirac. In return, he was nominated Minister of Small and Medium-sized Companies, Commerce and Craft Industry in Alain Juppé's cabinet (1995–1997).

At the same time, the pro-Chirac UDF members founded the Popular Party for French Democracy. Then, he returned in the Republican Party, became Liberal Democracy (DL) in 1997. He was vice-president of DL until 2002.

Prime minister

During the 2002 presidential campaign, he advocated the union of the right behind the incumbent President Chirac. After his re-election, Chirac wished to give a sign of political renewal. Furthermore, elected in a special second round by a majority of left-wing voters, he searched for a moderate to lead the cabinet and the June 2002 legislative campaign. Raffarin participated in the formation of the Union for a Popular Movement (UMP). He criticized the American-led intervention in Iraq.[3]

His political policies combined authority and moderate economical liberalism – that is, the support of laissez-faire economic policies. In 2003 he launched reforms of the public retirement scheme and of decentralisation, which led to many strikes. During the summer of 2003 the country experienced an unusual heat wave which caused the death of nearly 15,000 people. The perceived late reaction of the government was blamed on his administration. In 2004 he began a reform of the French state-run health-care system.

Raffarin's governments were known for their internal quarrels with various ministers taking opposite positions in public. The alleged lack of authority of the Prime Minister was mocked by the media.

On 28 March 2004 the ruling UMP party suffered an important defeat during the regional elections, with all but one région out of 22 of mainland France going to the opposition (PS, PCF, Les Verts). This was generally interpreted, including by Raffarin himself in his post-election speech, as "a sign of distrust against the government from the electorate". On 30 March 2004 Jean-Pierre Raffarin tendered the resignation of his government to president Jacques Chirac, who immediately re-appointed him prime minister, with the delegation to form a new government. This major cabinet reshuffle removed some of its most controversial ministers like Luc Ferry (education) or Jean-François Mattei (health).

Resignation

Raffarin's resignation was accepted by President Chirac on 30 May 2005, after the "no" victory at the European Constitution referendum, and he was replaced as prime minister by Dominique de Villepin.[4]

On 18 September 2005, he was elected Senator in the Vienne département. Speculation were that he could eventually try to become President of the Senate or President of the Union for a Popular Movement if Nicolas Sarkozy won the 2007 presidential election. He became one of the Vice presidents of the UMP in 2007. In September 2008, he sought the Senate UMP fraction's investiture to become President of the Senate, but was defeated by Gérard Larcher.

Raffarin is Grand Officer of the Legion of Honour and Grand Cross of National Order of Merit.

International policies

During a state visit to China on 21 April 2005 he avoided opposing the new "anti-secession" law on Taiwan, stating that "The anti-secession law is completely compatible with the position of France" and "The position of France has always been to 'one China' and we will remain attached to this position". On the embargo on weapons, he stated that "France continues to ask for a lifting of the embargo, and does not see what could lead the European Council to change position on that question".[5][6] By convention, foreign affairs are one of the President's—and not the Prime Minister's—sole responsibilities.

Governments

First ministry (May–June 2002)

Second ministry (2002–2004)

Third ministry (2004–2005)

Minor changes

29 November 2004 – following a Nicolas Sarkozy's resignation to become president of the UMP scandal forcing Hervé Gaymard resignation.

  • Hervé Gaymard – Minister of Economy, Finance, and Industry (replaced Nicolas Sarkozy)
  • Dominique Bussereau – Minister of Agriculture, Food, Fish, and Rural Affairs (replaced Hervé Gaymard)

25 February 2005 – following a scandal forcing Gaymard's resignation

Raffarinades

Jean-Pierre Raffarin was often teased for his optimistic aphorisms, known colloquially and ironically as raffarinades, the best known being La route est droite, mais la pente est forte ("The road is straight, but the slope is steep"). Some consider that the word raffarinade was created in reference to the other French word mazarinade. However, mazarinade refers to the songs that the frondeurs (French revolutionaries during the Régence of Queen Anne – Archduchess of Austria – and chief minister Cardinal de Mazarin, before king Louis XIV's personal reign) sang to mock the unpopular chief minister.

Raffarin also tried his English prior to the referendum on the European draft Constitution but this turned out to be an ill-advised idea, as shown in this famous excerpt[7] from his speech: "Win the yes needs the no to win against the no." The referendum itself was eventually nicknamed le Raffarindum by its opponents while Journée de solidarité envers les personnes âgées (Day of solidarity with the elderly) is sometimes referred to as la Saint-Raffarin by discontented workers (following a decision by Raffarin, French workers are supposed to work on Whit Monday for free, but public transportation still uses its "Sundays and holidays" timetable).

Honours

Ribbon barHonourCountryDate
Grand Officer of the Legion of HonourFrance2008
Grand Cross of the National Order of MeritFrance2002
Knight of the National Order of QuebecCanada2003
Grand Cross of the Order of the Star of RomaniaRomania2004
Order of FriendshipChina2019

See also

References

  1. ^ Tagliabue, John (7 May 2002). "Man in the News; A Leader to Lean On; Jean-Pierre Raffarin". New York Times. Retrieved 8 November 2010.
  2. ^ Ripaux, Alain (2004). Images et souvenirs du Poitou-Charentes (in French). Visualia.
  3. ^ "French PM:Iraq crisis not a game". www.cnn.com. Retrieved February 7, 2003.
  4. ^ "De Villepin appointed French PM". BBC News. 31 May 2005. Retrieved 8 November 2010.
  5. ^ [1][dead link]
  6. ^ [2] Archived 20 February 2006 at the Wayback Machine
  7. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 7 November 2011. Retrieved 24 April 2007.