Patrick Buisson (born 1949 in

Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. Si ...

) is a conservative French

essayist An essay is, generally, a piece of writing that gives the author's own argument, but the definition is vague, overlapping with those of a letter, a paper, an article, a pamphlet, and a short story. Essays have been sub-classified as formal ...

, journalist and political advisor. He was a journalist for ''

Minute The minute is a unit of time usually equal to (the first sexagesimal fraction) of an hour, or 60 seconds. In the UTC time standard, a minute on rare occasions has 61 seconds, a consequence of leap seconds (there is a provision to insert a neg ...

'', '' Valeurs Actuelles'' and ''

Le Crapouillot ''Le Crapouillot'' was a French magazine started by Jean Galtier-Boissière as a satiric publication in France, during World War I. In the trenches during World War I, the affectionate term for '' le petit crapaud'', "the little toad" was used ...

'' as well as '' La Chaîne Info''. He has written several books about

Vichy France Vichy France (french: Régime de Vichy; 10 July 1940 – 9 August 1944), officially the French State ('), was the fascist French state headed by Marshal Philippe Pétain during World War II. Officially independent, but with half of its t ...

, the

Algerian War The Algerian War, also known as the Algerian Revolution or the Algerian War of Independence,( ar, الثورة الجزائرية '; '' ber, Tagrawla Tadzayrit''; french: Guerre d'Algérie or ') and sometimes in Algeria as the War of 1 November ...

and the

Indochina War The First Indochina War (generally known as the Indochina War in France, and as the Anti-French Resistance War in Vietnam) began in French Indochina from 19 December 1946 to 20 July 1954 between France and Việt Minh (Democratic Republic of Vi ...

. The founder and co-owner of Publifact, a polling agency, he was a key advisor to former President

Nicolas Sarkozy Nicolas Paul Stéphane Sarközy de Nagy-Bocsa (; ; born 28 January 1955) is a French politician who served as President of France from 2007 to 2012. Born in Paris, he is of Hungarian, Greek Jewish, and French origin. Mayor of Neuilly-sur-Se ...

from 2006 to 2012, during which time he surreptitiously recorded private conversations he had with the president. He is the co-presenter of ''Historiquement show'', a television program on '' Histoire'', a subsidiary of the

TF1 Group TF1 Group (french: Groupe TF1) is a French media holding company. Its best-known property is the broadcast network TF1. The group was formed after TF1 was privatized in April 1987. It is controlled with a 43% stake by Bouygues, and is quoted ...

, which he chairs.

Early life

Patrick Buisson was born on April 19, 1949 in

, France. His father, Georges Buisson, an engineer for

Électricité de France Électricité de France S.A. (literally ''Electricity of France''), commonly known as EDF, is a French multinational electric utility company, largely owned by the French state. Headquartered in Paris, with €71.2 billion in revenues in 2 ...

, was a member of the

Camelots du Roi The King's Camelots, officially the National Federation of the King's Camelots (french: Fédération nationale des Camelots du Roi) was a far-right youth organization of the French militant royalist and integralist movement Action Française act ...

,Emeline Cazi, Ariane Chemin
Les Buisson, une famille en miettes
''

Le Monde ''Le Monde'' (; ) is a French daily afternoon newspaper. It is the main publication of Le Monde Group and reported an average circulation of 323,039 copies per issue in 2009, about 40,000 of which were sold abroad. It has had its own website si ...

'', March 12, 2014 and later the

Rally for the Republic The Rally for the Republic (french: Rassemblement pour la République ; RPR ), was a Gaullist and conservative political party in France. Originating from the Union of Democrats for the Republic (UDR), it was founded by Jacques Chirac in 1976 a ...

.Thierry Leclèr
Patrick Buisson, conseiller très à droite du Président
''

Télérama ''Télérama'' is a weekly French cultural and television magazine published in Paris, France. The name is a contraction of its earlier title: ''Télévision-Radio-Cinéma''. Fabienne Pascaud is currently managing editor. Ludovic Desautez is de ...

'', November 7, 2009 His parents divorced when he was five years old, and he lived with his mother. Together, they demonstrated for the

Hungarian Revolution of 1956 The Hungarian Revolution of 1956 (23 October – 10 November 1956; hu, 1956-os forradalom), also known as the Hungarian Uprising, was a countrywide revolution against the government of the Hungarian People's Republic (1949–1989) and the Hunga ...

, which attempted to rid Hungaria of Soviet influence. When he was twelve years old, he went to live with his father. He was educated at the Lycée Pasteur in

Neuilly-sur-Seine Neuilly-sur-Seine (; literally 'Neuilly on Seine'), also known simply as Neuilly, is a commune in the department of Hauts-de-Seine in France, just west of Paris. Immediately adjacent to the city, the area is composed of mostly select residentia ...

, near Paris. He received a PhD in History from

Paris West University Nanterre La Défense Paris Nanterre University (French: ''Université Paris Nanterre''), formerly Paris-X and commonly referred to as Nanterre, is a public research university based in Nanterre, Paris, France. It is one of the most prestigious French universities, m ...

, where his thesis supervisor was Raoul Girardet.

Career

Buisson started his career as a history teacher.Patrick Buisson, l’éminence noire de Nicolas Sarkozy
''Le Monde'', March 17, 2015 In 1981, he started writing for ''

''.Renaud Dély
Quand Patrick Buisson défendait Drumont, Le Pen et l'OAS...
''Le Nouvel Observateur'', February 18, 2012 He later wrote for '' Valeurs Actuelles''.Renaud Revel
Un ancien des « RG » raconte Patrick Buisson et son stylo enregistreur
''

L'Express ''L'Express'' () is a French weekly news magazine headquartered in Paris. The weekly stands at the political centre in the French media landscape, and has a lifestyle supplement, ''L'Express Styles'', and a job supplement, ''Réussir''. History ...

'', May 4, 2015Carole Barjon
Patrick Buisson : le stratège de l'ombre
''

Le Nouvel Observateur (), previously known as (1964–2014), is a weekly French news magazine. Based in the 2nd arrondissement of Paris, it is the most prominent French general information magazine in terms of audience and circulation. Its current editor is Cécil ...

'', February 16, 2012 He also wrote for ''

''. Buisson has written several books. One of his earliest books were about the

Organisation armée secrète The ''Organisation Armée Secrète'' (OAS, "Secret Armed Organisation") was a far-right French dissident paramilitary organisation during the Algerian War. The OAS carried out terrorist attacks, including bombings and assassinations, in an atte ...

and

Jean-Marie Le Pen Jean Louis Marie Le Pen (, born 20 June 1928) is a French far-right politician who served as President of the National Front from 1972 to 2011. He also served as Honorary President of the National Front from 2011 to 2015. Le Pen graduated fro ...

. He also expressed his enthusiasm for order and hierarchies. Additionally, he wrote a book about

Sacha Guitry Alexandre-Pierre Georges "Sacha" Guitry (; 21 February 188524 July 1957) was a French stage actor, film actor, director, screenwriter, and playwright of the boulevard theatre. He was the son of a leading French actor, Lucien Guitry, and follo ...

and co-wrote a book about

Léo Ferré Léo Ferré (24 August 1916 – 14 July 1993) was a French-born Monégasque poet and composer, and a dynamic and controversial live performer, whose career in France dominated the years after the Second World War until his death. He released so ...

. Later, he wrote history books about the

, the

and

. His book about eroticism during Vichy France, which suggests many French women had sexual intercourse with German invaders during World War II, was adapted as a film entitled '' Love and Sex under Nazi Occupation'' in 2011.imdb: Love and Sex under Nazi Occupation
/ref> Buisson served as a political advisor to

Philippe de Villiers Philippe Marie Jean Joseph Le Jolis de Villiers de Saintignon, known as Philippe de Villiers (; born 25 March 1949), is a French entrepreneur, politician and novelist.Main Website Retrieved 4 March 2009. He is the founder of the Puy du Fou them ...

in the 1990s and early 2000s. He served as a political advisor to President

from 2006 to 2012. He played a key role in Sarkozy's victory during the 2007 presidential election. He suggested renegotiating the Évian Accords, which gives special visas to Algerians when they visit France, but Sarkozy turned down the idea.La face cachée de Patrick Buisson, éminence grise de Sarkozy... et Mélenchon
''

Le Figaro ''Le Figaro'' () is a French daily morning newspaper founded in 1826. It is headquartered on Boulevard Haussmann in the 9th arrondissement of Paris. The oldest national newspaper in France, ''Le Figaro'' is one of three French newspapers of r ...

'', March 17, 2015 He has been described by ''

'' as "one of the Fifth Republic's most influential advisors." Buisson founded Publifact, a polling firm, in Lyon in 1982.Gérald Andrieu
Patrick Buisson, un gourou près de ses sous
''

Marianne Marianne () has been the national personification of the French Republic since the French Revolution, as a personification of liberty, equality, fraternity and reason, as well as a portrayal of the Goddess of Liberty. Marianne is displayed in ...

'', June 28, 2013 He owns 58%.Lilian Alemagna
Le jackpot derrière les Buisson
''Libération'', November 25, 2009 In 2008, the firm received 1,082,400 Euros from the Élysée for various polls and reports. In 2009, Buisson received 10,000 Euros each month as a consultant. In February 2014, ''

Le Point ''Le Point'' () is a French weekly political and news magazine published in Paris. History and profile ''Le Point'' was founded in September 1972 by a group of journalists who had, one year earlier, left the editorial team of '' L'Express'', w ...

'' revealed that Buisson had surreptitiously recorded private conversations he had with President Sarkozy.EXCLUSIF. Quand Patrick Buisson enregistrait Sarkozy !
''Le Point'', February 12, 2014 A month later, in March 2014, ''

Le Canard enchaîné (; English: "The Chained Duck" or "The Chained Paper", as is French slang meaning "newspaper") is a satirical weekly newspaper in France. Its headquarters is in Paris. Founded in 1915 during World War I, it features investigative journalism a ...

'' published the transcripts.Enregistrements Buisson à l'Elysée: Le Canard enchaîné publie un verbatim
''Le Point'', March 4, 2014 Buisson's son, Georges, denied being the one who leaked them.Said Mahrane
Georges Buisson: "Mon père m'a dit que ça pouvait toujours servir"
''Le Point'', March 6, 2014 Buisson was a TV journalist for '' La Chaîne Info''. He was also the co-creator of ''100% Politique'', a TV program, with

David Pujadas David Pujadas (, , ; born 2 December 1964) is a French journalist and television host. A news presenter for TF1's LCI daily news programme, ''24H Pujadas,'' at 18:00 CET, he was an anchorman on France 2's weeknight newscast, ''Le Journal de ...

, and ''Politiquement Show'', another TV program, with

Michel Field Michel Field (born 17 July 1954) is a French journalist, television presenter, philosopher and novelist. He is the author of several novels. He served as the political director of France Télévisions. Early life Michel Field was born as Michel ...

. He has served as the Chairman of '' Histoire'', a TV channel which is a subsidiary of the

, since 2007.Patrick Buisson rempile à TF1
''

Libération ''Libération'' (), popularly known as ''Libé'' (), is a daily newspaper in France, founded in Paris by Jean-Paul Sartre and Serge July in 1973 in the wake of the protest movements of May 1968. Initially positioned on the far-left of France' ...

'', June 12, 2015 His contract was renewed in 2015. He presents ''Historiquement show'', a history TV program, with Michel Field. Buisson received the

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 Napoleo ...

on September 24, 2007.

Personal life

Buisson is a Roman Catholic "by tradition," and attends the Latin Mass. He has a son, Georges Buisson, who is co-owner of Publifact and works for the ''Histoire'' TV channel with his father. In June 2015, he published a book about his father, entitled ''L'Ennemi''.Le fils de Patrick Buisson sort un livre au vitriol sur son père
''Le Point'', September 8, 2014 On 21 January 2022, Buisson and three co-defendants, former Sarkozy chief of staff Claude Gueant, former cabinet director Emmanuelle Mignon and former pollster and consultant Pierre Giacometti, were found guilty of polling fraud involving allegations that they misused public money while ordering public opinion polls worth a combined 7.5 million euros ($8.7 million) during the course of Sarkozy's presidency between 2017 and 2012. Buisson would receive no jail time in his sentence was instead handed a two-year suspended sentence and a 150,000 euro fine.

Bibliography

*''OAS : Histoire de la résistance française en Algérie'' (with Pascal Gauchon, Bièvres: Jeune Pied-Noir, 1984, 168 pages). *''L'Album Le Pen'' (with Alain Renault,

Écully Écully (; frp, Èculyé) is a commune in the Metropolis of Lyon in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region in eastern France just west of Lyon. It is the location of the Paul Bocuse Institute, which is partially situated inside the ''Château du Vivier ...

: Intervalles, 1984, 155 pages). *''Avec le temps / C'est l'histoire d'un métamec '' (with

, illustrated by

Hubert Grooteclaes Hubert is a Germanic masculine given name, from ''hug'' "mind" and ''beraht'' "bright". It also occurs as a surname. Saint Hubertus or Hubert (c. 656 – 30 May 727) is the patron saint of hunters, mathematicians, opticians, and metalworkers. ...

, Paris: Éditions du Chêne, 1995, 149 pages). *''Sacha Guitry et ses femmes'' (Paris: Éditions Albin Michel, 1996, 321 pages). *''Vichy ou les infortunes de la vertu'' (Paris: Éditions Albin Michel, 2008, 570 pages). *''De la grande prostituée à la revanche des mâles'' (Paris: Éditions Albin Michel, 2008, 521 pages). *''La Grande Guerre, 1914-1918'' (with Jean-Pascal Soudagne, prefaced by Max Gallo, Paris: XO éditions, 351 pages). *''La Guerre d'Algérie'' (prefaced by

Michel Déon Michel Déon (; 4 August 1919 – 28 December 2016) was a French novelist and literary columnist. He published over 50 works and was the recipient of numerous awards, including the Prix Interallié for his 1970 novel, '' Les Poneys sauvages'' (Th ...

, illustrated by Marc Flament, Paris: Éditions Albin Michel, 2009, 271 pages). *''La Guerre d'Indochine'' (prefaced by

Pierre Schoendoerffer Pierre Schoendoerffer (french: Pierre Schœndœrffer; 5 May 1928 – 14 March 2012) was a French film director, a screenwriter, a writer, a war reporter, a war cameraman, a renowned First Indochina War veteran, a cinema academician. He was ...

, Paris: Éditions Albin Michel, 2009, 255 pages). *''L'Occupation intime'' (Paris: Éditions Albin Michel, 2011, 319 pages). *''Le Paris de Céline'' (Paris: Éditions Albin Michel, 2012). *''La Cause du peuple'' (Paris: Perrin, 2016).

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Buisson, Patrick 1949 births Living people Writers from Paris Union for a Popular Movement politicians The Strong Right French essayists French journalists French television presenters University of Paris alumni Chevaliers of the Légion d'honneur