Jean-Pierre Raffarin (; born 3 August 1948) is a French politician who served as Prime Minister of France from 6 May 2002 to 31 May 2005. He resigned after France's rejection of the

referendum A referendum (plural: referendums or less commonly referenda) is a direct vote by the electorate on a proposal, law, or political issue. This is in contrast to an issue being voted on by a representative. This may result in the adoption of a ...

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 Godwin, 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 Mendes-France Pierre is a masculine given name. It is a French form of the name Peter. Pierre originally meant "rock" or "stone" in French (derived from the Greek word πέτρος (''petros'') meaning "stone, rock", via Latin "petra"). It is a translation ...

(1954–1955). He studied law at Université Paris-Panthéon-Assas 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 Valéry René Marie Georges Giscard d'Estaing (, , ; 2 February 19262 December 2020), also known as Giscard or VGE, was a French politician who served as President of France from 1974 to 1981. After serving as Minister of Finance under prime ...

'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 The Union for French Democracy (french: Union pour la démocratie française, UDF) was a centre to centre-right political party in France. It was founded in 1978 as an electoral alliance to support President Valéry Giscard d'Estaing in order to ...

(UDF).

Political career

In the 1980s, he started a career in local politics in

Poitou-Charentes Poitou-Charentes (; oc, Peitau-Charantas; Poitevin-Saintongese: ) is a former administrative region on the southwest coast of France. It is part of the new region Nouvelle-Aquitaine. It comprises four departments: Charente, Charente-Maritime, D ...

region. With the support of

René Monory René Monory (6 June 1923 – 11 April 2009) was a French centre-right Gaullist politician. Biography René Monory was born in Loudun and began his career as the owner of a garage. He was the founder of the Poitiers Futuroscope. Monory firs ...

, the local political leader, he took the chair of the regional council in 1988. Seven years later, he was elected senator of

Vienne Vienne (; Poitevin-Saintongeais: ''Viéne'') is a landlocked department in the French region of Nouvelle-Aquitaine. It takes its name from the river Vienne. It had a population of 438,435 in 2019.European Parliament The European Parliament (EP) is one of the 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 adopts ...

: 1989–1995 (Became minister in 1995). Reelected in 1994. ''Senate of France'' *Senator of

Vienne Vienne (; Poitevin-Saintongeais: ''Viéne'') is a landlocked department in the French region of Nouvelle-Aquitaine. It takes its name from the river Vienne. It had a population of 438,435 in 2019.Poitou-Charentes Poitou-Charentes (; oc, Peitau-Charantas; Poitevin-Saintongese: ) is a former administrative region on the southwest coast of France. It is part of the new region Nouvelle-Aquitaine. It comprises four departments: Charente, Charente-Maritime, D ...

: 1988–2002 (Resignation). Re-elected in 1992, 1998. *Vice-President of the Regional Council of

: 2002–2004. *Regional councillor of

: 1986–2004. Reelected in 1992, 1998. ''Municipal Council'' *Deputy-mayor of Chasseneuil-du-Poitou : 1995–2001. *Municipal councillor of Chasseneuil-du-Poitou : 1995–2001. *Municipal councillor of Poitiers : 1977–1995. Re-elected in 1983, 1989. Political functions *Vice-President of the

Union for a Popular Movement The Union for a Popular Movement (french: link=no, Union pour un mouvement populaire, ; UMP, ) was a centre-right List of political parties in France, political party in France that was one of the two major party, major contemporary political pa ...

: Since 2007.

In Government

During the 1995 presidential campaign, while most UDF politicians supported

Édouard Balladur Édouard Balladur (; born 2 May 1929) is a French politician who served as Prime Minister of France under François Mitterrand from 29 March 1993 to 17 May 1995. He unsuccessfully ran for president in the 1995 French presidential election, c ...

, 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 Alain Marie Juppé (; born 15 August 1945) is a French politician. A member of The Republicans (France), The Republicans, he was Prime Minister of France from 1995 to 1997 under President Jacques Chirac, during which period he faced 1995 strikes ...

's cabinet (1995–1997). At the same time, the pro-Chirac UDF members founded the

Popular Party for French Democracy Democratic Convention (''Convention démocrate'', CD) is a centrist- liberal political party in France led by Hervé de Charette. It is the continuation of the Popular Party for French Democracy, established in 1995. The Popular Party for French ...

. Then, he returned in the Republican Party, became

Liberal Democracy Liberal democracy is the combination of a liberal political ideology that operates under an indirect democratic form of government. It is characterized by elections between multiple distinct political parties, a separation of powers into ...

(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

(UMP). He criticized the American-led intervention in Iraq. His political policies combined authority and moderate economical liberalism – that is, the support of

laissez-faire ''Laissez-faire'' ( ; from french: laissez faire , ) is an economic system in which transactions between private groups of people are free from any form of economic interventionism (such as subsidies) deriving from special interest groups ...

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 A heat wave, or heatwave, is a period of excessively hot weather, which may be accompanied by high humidity, especially in oceanic climate countries. While definitions vary, a heat wave is usually measured relative to the usual climate in the ...

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 Jean-François Mattei (born 14 January 1943) is a French doctor and politician. Medical career Jean-François Mattei is a professor of pediatrics and genetics. He served as the director of Genetics at the teaching hospital of Marseilles. He ...

(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 Dominique Marie François René Galouzeau de Villepin (; born 14 November 1953) 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 ...

. 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

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 Gérard Philippe René André Larcher (born 14 September 1949) is a French politician serving as President of the Senate since 2014, previously holding the office from 2008 to 2011. A member of The Republicans, he has been a Senator for the Yveli ...

. Raffarin is Chevalier de la Légion d'honneur (

Legion of Honour The National Order of the Legion of Honour (french: Ordre national de la Légion d'honneur), formerly the Royal Order of the Legion of Honour ('), is the highest French order of merit, both military and civil. Established in 1802 by Napoleon ...

) and Grand-Croix de l'ordre national du Mérite (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"

By convention, foreign affairs are one of the President's—and not the Prime Minister's—sole responsibilities.

Governments

First ministry (May – June 2002)

* :fr:Jean-Pierre Raffarin, Jean-Pierre Raffarin – Prime Minister *

– Minister of Foreign Affairs, Cooperation, and Francophonie *

Michèle Alliot-Marie Michèle Yvette Marie-Thérèse Jeanne Honorine Alliot-Marie (; born 10 September 1946), known in France as MAM, is a French politician and Member of the European Parliament (MEP) from France. She is a member of the Republicans, part of the Eu ...

– Minister of Defense and Veterans * Nicolas Sarkozy – Minister of the Interior, Interior Security, and Local Liberties *

Francis Mer Francis Mer (born 25 May 1939, in Pau) is a French businessman, industrialist and politician. A former alumnus of the École Polytechnique, and of the École des Mines de Paris, he is a member of the Corps des mines. He was hired in 1970 by the ...

– Minister of Economy, Finance, and Industry *

François Fillon François Charles Armand Fillon (; born 4 March 1954) is a retired French politician who served as Prime Minister of France from 2007 to 2012 under President Nicolas Sarkozy. He was the nominee of the Republicans (previously known as the Union ...

– Minister of Labour, Social Affairs, and Solidarity *

Dominique Perben Dominique Perben (born 11 August 1945) is a French politician. Born in Lyon, he was French Minister of Transportation from 2005 to 2007. He was previously Minister of Justice (2002–05), Minister of Civil Service and Administration (1995–199 ...

– Minister of Justice * Luc Ferry – Minister of National Education, Youth, Higher Education, and Research * Jean-Jacques Aillagon – Minister of Culture and Communication *

Hervé Gaymard Hervé Gaymard (born 31 May 1960) is a French politician and a member of The Republicans conservative party. He served as the country's Minister of Finances from 30 November 2004 until his resignation on 25 February 2005. Gaymard attended S ...

– Minister of Agriculture, Food, and Rural Affairs *

Roselyne Bachelot Roselyne Bachelot-Narquin, generally known as Roselyne Bachelot (née Narquin; born 24 December 1946) is a French politician who served as Minister of Culture in the government of Prime Minister Jean Castex (2020–2022) and as Minister of Soli ...

– Minister of Ecology and Sustainable Development * Tokia Saïfi – Minister Delegate of Sustainable Development * Jean-François Lamour – Minister of Sport * Brigitte Girardin – Minister of Overseas *

Gilles de Robien Le vicomte Gilles de Robien (; born 10 April 1941) is a French politician and former government minister. The son of Count Jean de Robien by his wife Éliane Le Mesre de Pas, he is descended from the noble Breton family de Robien. In 1989 ...

– Minister of Transport, Housing, Tourism, Sea, and Equipment *

Jean-François Mattéi Jean-François Mattéi (; 9 March 1941 – 24 March 2014) was a French philosopher and professor of Greek philosophy and political philosophy at the University of Nice A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and ...

– Minister of Health, Family, and Handicapped People * Jean-Paul Delevoye – Minister of Civil Service, Reform of the State, and Regional Planning *

Renaud Donnedieu de Vabres Renaud Donnedieu de Vabres (born 13 March 1954 in Neuilly-sur-Seine), often known as RDDV, is a French politician, France's Minister of Culture from 2004 to 2007. He is a member of the UMP center-right party, and the grandson of Henri Donnedie ...

– Minister of European affairs

Second ministry (2002–2004)

*Jean-Pierre Raffarin – Prime Minister *

– Minister of Foreign Affairs *

– Minister of Defense * Nicolas Sarkozy – Minister of the Interior, Interior Security, and Local Liberties *

– Minister of Economy, Finance, and Industry *

– Minister of Labour, Social Affairs, and Solidarity *

– Minister of Justice * Luc Ferry – Minister of National Education, Youth, Higher Education, and Research * Jean-Jacques Aillagon – Minister of Culture and Communication *

– Minister of Agriculture, Food, and Rural Affairs *

– Minister of Transport, Housing, Tourism, Sea, and Equipment *

– Minister of Health, Family, and Handicapped People * Jean-Paul Delevoye – Minister of Civil Service, Reform of the State, and Regional Planning *

Noëlle Lenoir Noëlle Lenoir (born 27 April 1948) is a French lawyer, former judge, and politician. Career Noëlle Lenoir was born in Neuilly-sur-Seine. She is a graduate of Sciences Po and the Paris Law Faculty. She has been a professor in each of these i ...

– Minister of European affairs

Third ministry (2004–2005)

*Jean-Pierre Raffarin – Prime Minister * Michel Barnier – Minister of Foreign Affairs *

– Minister of Defense *

– Minister of the Interior, Interior Security, and Local Liberties * Nicolas Sarkozy – Minister of Economy, Finance, and Industry *

Jean-Louis Borloo Jean-Louis Marie Borloo (; born 7 April 1951) is a French politician who served as president of the Union of Democrats and Independents (UDI) from 2012 to 2014. He also was Minister of the Economy, Finance and Employment in 2007 and Minister of ...

– Minister of Labour, Employment, and Social Cohesion *

– Minister of Justice *

– Minister of National Education, Higher Education, and Research ** François d'Aubert – Minister delegate of Research *

– Minister of Culture and Communication *

– Minister of Agriculture, Food, Fish, and Rural Affairs * Serge Lepeltier – Minister of Ecology and Sustainable Development * Jean-François Lamour – Minister of Youth, Sport, and Community Life * Brigitte Girardin – Minister of Overseas *

– Minister of Transport, Tourism, Regional Planning, Sea, and Equipment *

Philippe Douste-Blazy Philippe Douste-Blazy (; born 1 January 1953) is a French United Nations official and former centre-right politician. Over the course of his career, he served as Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations, Special Adviser on Innovative Financi ...

– Minister of Health and Social Protection * Marie-Josée Roig – Minister of Family and Childhood *

Renaud Dutreil Renaud Dutreil (born 12 June 1960) is a graduate of the Paris Institute of Political Sciences, École Normale Supérieure and École Nationale d'Administration in Paris. He was Lauréat du Concours Général de Philosophie in 1978. Dutreil se ...

– Minister of Civil Service and Reform of the State *

Nicole Ameline Nicole Ameline (born 4 July 1952) is a French politician, lawyer, diplomat and women's rights advocate. She served as a member of the National Assembly of France for several terms between 1991 and 2017, and held various roles in the Government o ...

– Minister of Parity and Professional Equality

Minor changes

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

resignation. *Hervé Gaymard – Minister of Economy, Finance, and Industry (replaced Nicolas Sarkozy) *

Dominique Bussereau Dominique Bussereau (born 13 July 1952) is a French politician. He is president of the departmental council of Charente-Maritime since 2008 and president of the since 2015. He was Secretary of State for Transport within the government of ...

– Minister of Agriculture, Food, Fish, and Rural Affairs (replaced

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

Thierry Breton Thierry Breton (; born 15 January 1955) is a French business executive, politician, writer and the current Commissioner for Internal Market of the European Union. Breton was vice-chairman and CEO of Groupe Bull (1996–1997), chairman and CEO o ...

– Minister of Economy, Finance, and Industry

Raffarinades

Jean-Pierre Raffarin was often teased for his optimistic

aphorism An aphorism (from Greek ἀφορισμός: ''aphorismos'', denoting 'delimitation', 'distinction', and 'definition') is a concise, terse, laconic, or memorable expression of a general truth or principle. Aphorisms are often handed down by ...

s, 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 from his speech: "Oui (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 Whit Monday or Pentecost Monday, also known as Monday of the Holy Spirit, is the holiday celebrated the day after Pentecost, a moveable feast in the Christian liturgical calendar. It is moveable because it is determined by the date of Easter. I ...

for free, but public transportation still uses its "Sundays and holidays" timetable).

Honours

References

External links

Official biography (in French)

BBC Profile (in English)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Raffarin, Jean-Pierre 1948 births Living people People from Poitiers French Roman Catholics Republican Party (France) politicians Liberal Democracy (France) politicians Democratic Convention (France) politicians Union for a Popular Movement politicians Modern and Humanist France Prime Ministers of France French Ministers of Commerce and Industry Vice-presidents of the Senate (France) MEPs for France 1989–1994 MEPs for France 1994–1999 Officers of the National Order of Quebec Grand Crosses of the Order of the Star of Romania Grand Officiers of the Légion d'honneur Grand Cross of the Ordre national du Mérite Paris 2 Panthéon-Assas University alumni ESCP Europe alumni Senators of Vienne