Jacques Barrot
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Jacques Barrot (; 3 February 1937 – 3 December 2014) was a French politician, who served as
European Commission The European Commission (EC) is the primary Executive (government), executive arm of the European Union (EU). It operates as a cabinet government, with a number of European Commissioner, members of the Commission (directorial system, informall ...
er for
Justice In its broadest sense, justice is the idea that individuals should be treated fairly. According to the ''Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy'', the most plausible candidate for a core definition comes from the ''Institutes (Justinian), Inst ...
from 2008 to 2010, after having spent four years serving as Commissioner for Transport from 2004 to 2008 and Commissioner for Regional Policy for eight months in 2004. He was also one of five vice-presidents of the 27-member
Barroso Commission The Barroso Commission was the European Commission in office from 22 November 2004 until 31 October 2014. Its President of the European Commission, president was José Durão Barroso, who presided over 27 other commissioners (one from Member sta ...
. He previously held various ministerial positions in France, and was a member of the right-wing political party
UMP UMP may refer to: Science * Ultra metal-poor star, refers to a type of star with extremely low levels of heavier elements * Uniformly most powerful test, in statistical hypothesis testing * Uridine monophosphate, a nucleotide * Utility maximizat ...
. He was officially approved in his post by the
European Parliament The European Parliament (EP) is one of the two legislative bodies of the European Union and one of its seven institutions. Together with the Council of the European Union (known as the Council and informally as the Council of Ministers), it ...
on 18 June 2008 with a vote of 489 to 52 with 19 abstentions.


Biography

Barrot was a European Commissioner between April 2004 and, serving as Commissioner for Regional Policy in the
Prodi Commission The Prodi Commission was the European Commission in office between 1999 and 2004. The administration was led by former Italian Prime Minister Romano Prodi. History The commission took office on 16 September 1999 following the scandal and subs ...
before being selected as a Vice-President and Commissioner for Transport in the
Barroso Commission The Barroso Commission was the European Commission in office from 22 November 2004 until 31 October 2014. Its President of the European Commission, president was José Durão Barroso, who presided over 27 other commissioners (one from Member sta ...
. He was convicted in a French court of embezzlement in 2000. The case involved the diverting of £2 million of government money to his party. He received an eight-month suspended prison sentence. His conviction was automatically erased by a 1995 presidential amnesty. Barrot was approved by the
European Parliament The European Parliament (EP) is one of the two legislative bodies of the European Union and one of its seven institutions. Together with the Council of the European Union (known as the Council and informally as the Council of Ministers), it ...
in 2004 for Commissioner of Transport and made a
Vice-President A vice president or vice-president, also director in British English, is an officer in government or business who is below the president (chief executive officer) in rank. It can also refer to executive vice presidents, signifying that the vi ...
in the new
Barroso Commission The Barroso Commission was the European Commission in office from 22 November 2004 until 31 October 2014. Its President of the European Commission, president was José Durão Barroso, who presided over 27 other commissioners (one from Member sta ...
. However shortly after he began work, his previous conviction was revealed by
Nigel Farage Nigel Paul Farage ( ; born 3 April 1964) is a British politician and broadcaster who has been Member of Parliament (United Kingdom), Member of Parliament (MP) for Clacton (UK Parliament constituency), Clacton and Leader of Reform UK since 20 ...
, MEP for
Independence and Democracy Independence/Democracy (IND/DEM) was a Eurosceptic political group that operated in the European Parliament between 2004 and 2009. At its height in 2004, it had 37 MEPs and it only existed during the European Parliament's 6th term. It was affi ...
.
French President The president of France, officially the president of the French Republic (), is the executive head of state of France, and the commander-in-chief of the French Armed Forces. As the presidency is the supreme magistracy of the country, the pos ...
Jacques Chirac Jacques René Chirac (, ; ; 29 November 193226 September 2019) was a French politician who served as President of France from 1995 to 2007. He was previously Prime Minister of France from 1974 to 1976 and 1986 to 1988, as well as Mayor of Pari ...
had granted him presidential amnesty, a fact the Commissioner did not disclose during his hearing to the Parliament. Despite calls from some MEPs for him to be suspended he remained in office after a large majority accepted legal opinion that Barrot was not legally required to disclose the amnesty. A major project during his term was the
Galileo positioning system Galileo is a satellite navigation, global navigation satellite system (GNSS) created by the European Union through the European Space Agency (ESA) and operated by the European Union Agency for the Space Programme (EUSPA). It is headquartered ...
. Work on the system began a year before Barrot came to office and has developed since with the launch of the first satellite. However infighting within private sector partners may have been a potential setback to the project with Barrot favouring greater funds from the
EU budget The budget of the European Union ( The Union’s annual budget) is used to finance EU funding programmes (such as the European Regional Development Fund, the Cohesion Fund, Horizon Europe, or Erasmus+) and other expenditure at the European lev ...
. Other work includes recent guarantees of air passenger rights and the
Single European Sky The Single European Sky (SES) is a European Commission initiative that seeks to reform the European air traffic management system through a series of actions carried out in four different levels (institutional, operational, technological and cont ...
. Barrot died on 3 December 2014 in
Neuilly-sur-Seine Neuilly-sur-Seine (; 'Neuilly-on-Seine'), also known simply as Neuilly, is an urban Communes of France, commune in the Hauts-de-Seine Departments of France, department just west of Paris in France. Immediately adjacent to the city, north of the ...
at the age of 77.


Political career

*Member of the
Constitutional Council of France The Constitutional Council (, ) is the highest constitutional authority in France. It was established by the Constitution of the Fifth Republic on 4 October 1958 to ensure that constitutional principles and rules are upheld. It is housed in the ...
: Since 2010. *Vice-President of the
European Commission The European Commission (EC) is the primary Executive (government), executive arm of the European Union (EU). It operates as a cabinet government, with a number of European Commissioner, members of the Commission (directorial system, informall ...
: November 2004 – 2010. * European Commissioner for Justice and Home Affairs : 2008–2010. * European Commissioner for Transports : 2004–2008. * European Commissioner for Regional Policy : March–November 2004. Governmental functions *Secretary of State for Housing : 1974–1978. *Minister of Trade and Handicrafts : 1978–1979. *Minister of Health and Social Security : 1979–1981. *Minister of Labor, Social Dialogue and Participation : May–November 1995. *Minister of Labor and Social Affairs : 1995–1997. Electoral mandates ''National Assembly of France'' *President of the group of
Union for a Popular Movement The Union for a Popular Movement ( ; UMP ) was a Liberal conservatism, liberal-conservative List of political parties in France, political party in France, largely inspired by the Gaullism, Gaullist tradition. During its existence, the UMP was o ...
: 2002–2004 (Resignation). *Member of the
National Assembly of France The National Assembly (, ) is the lower house of the Bicameralism, bicameral French Parliament under the French Fifth Republic, Fifth Republic, the upper house being the Senate (France), Senate (). The National Assembly's legislators are known ...
for
Haute-Loire's 1st constituency The 1st constituency of Haute-Loire is a French legislative constituency in Haute-Loire Haute-Loire (; or ''Naut Leir''; English: Upper Loire) is a landlocked department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region of south-central France. Named af ...
: 1967–1974 (Became Secretary of State in 1974) / 1981–1995 (Became minister in 1995) / 1997–2004 (Resignation, became member of the
European Commission The European Commission (EC) is the primary Executive (government), executive arm of the European Union (EU). It operates as a cabinet government, with a number of European Commissioner, members of the Commission (directorial system, informall ...
in 2004). Elected in 1967, re-elected in 1968, 1973, 1978, 1981, 1986, 1988, 1993, 1997, 2002. ''General Council'' *President of the
Haute-Loire Haute-Loire (; or ''Naut Leir''; English: Upper Loire) is a landlocked department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region of south-central France. Named after the Loire River, it is surrounded by the departments of Loire, Ardèche, Lozère, Canta ...
General Council : 1976–2001. Re-elected in 1979, 1982, 1985, 1988, 1992, 1994, 1998. *General councillor of
Haute-Loire Haute-Loire (; or ''Naut Leir''; English: Upper Loire) is a landlocked department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region of south-central France. Named after the Loire River, it is surrounded by the departments of Loire, Ardèche, Lozère, Canta ...
: 1966–2008. Re-elected in 1970, 1976, 1982, 1988, 1994, 2001. ''Municipal Council'' *Mayor of
Yssingeaux Yssingeaux (; ) is a commune and subprefecture in the Haute-Loire department in south-central France. It is situated between Le Puy-en-Velay and Firminy. Geography The river Lignon du Velay flows through the commune. Population See also * ...
: 1989–2001. Re-elected in 1995. *Deputy-mayor of
Yssingeaux Yssingeaux (; ) is a commune and subprefecture in the Haute-Loire department in south-central France. It is situated between Le Puy-en-Velay and Firminy. Geography The river Lignon du Velay flows through the commune. Population See also * ...
: 1971–1989. Re-elected in 1977, 1983. *Municipal councillor of
Yssingeaux Yssingeaux (; ) is a commune and subprefecture in the Haute-Loire department in south-central France. It is situated between Le Puy-en-Velay and Firminy. Geography The river Lignon du Velay flows through the commune. Population See also * ...
: 1965–2001. Re-elected in 1971, 1977, 1983, 1989, 1995.


References


External links


Official website
, - , - , - , - , - {{DEFAULTSORT:Barrot, Jacques 1937 births 2014 deaths People from Haute-Loire Centre Democracy and Progress politicians Centre of Social Democrats politicians Union for French Democracy politicians Union for a Popular Movement politicians Ministers of commerce and industry of France Ministers of health of France Deputies of the 3rd National Assembly of the French Fifth Republic Deputies of the 4th National Assembly of the French Fifth Republic Deputies of the 5th National Assembly of the French Fifth Republic Deputies of the 6th National Assembly of the French Fifth Republic Deputies of the 7th National Assembly of the French Fifth Republic Deputies of the 8th National Assembly of the French Fifth Republic Deputies of the 9th National Assembly of the French Fifth Republic Deputies of the 10th National Assembly of the French Fifth Republic Deputies of the 11th National Assembly of the French Fifth Republic Deputies of the 12th National Assembly of the French Fifth Republic Members of Parliament for Haute-Loire French general councillors Mayors of places in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes French European commissioners Transport and the European Union Sciences Po alumni Officers of the Legion of Honour 20th-century French criminals French politicians convicted of crimes Politicians convicted of embezzlement Recipients of French presidential pardons Members of the Constitutional Council (France)