Jacques Mézard (born 3 December 1947) is a French lawyer and politician of the

Radical Party of the Left The Radical Party of the Left (, PRG) is a social-liberal political party in France. A party in the Radical tradition, since 1972 the PRG has been a close ally of the major party of the centre-left in France, the Socialist Party (, PS). Af ...

who has been serving as a member of the Constitutional Council since 2019. He previously served as Minister of Agriculture and Food in 2017 and Minister of Territorial Cohesion from 2017 to 2018. A member of the

(PRG), he was a

Senator A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or Legislative chamber, chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the Ancient Rome, ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior ...

representing the

Cantal Cantal (; or ) is a rural Departments of France, department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Regions of France, region of France, with its Prefectures in France, prefecture in Aurillac. Its other principal towns are Saint-Flour, Cantal, Saint-Flou ...

department from 2008 to 2017, and again from 2018 until 2019.

Early life

Jacques Mézard was born in Aurillac.Senate webpage
/ref> He graduated from Panthéon-Assas University in

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...

, where he received a law degree.

Career

From 1971 to 1976, he worked as a lawyer in Paris and taught law at the Pantheon-Sorbonne University. Additionally, he served as Vice President of Pantheon-Sorbonne University from 1970 to 1975. From 1977 to 2009, he worked as a lawyer in Aurillac. He served as Deputy Mayor of Aurillac from 1982 to 1993. He also served as a member of the General Council of Cantal from 1994 to 2008. After the 2008 Senate election, he was installed as a Senator for Cantal. He was reelected in

2014 The year 2014 was marked by the surge of the Western African Ebola epidemic, West African Ebola epidemic, which began in 2013, becoming the List of Ebola outbreaks, most widespread outbreak of the Ebola, Ebola virus in human history, resul ...

. In 2011, he was chosen as President of the European Democratic and Social Rally group. On 17 May 2017, Mézard was appointed Minister of Agriculture and Food in the First Philippe government. On 21 June 2017, he was appointed Minister of Territorial Cohesion in the Second Philippe Government, replacing Richard Ferrand. He left his position on 16 October 2018 to return to the Senate. On 11 March 2019, he was sworn in as a member of the Constitutional Council, following his appointment by President

Emmanuel Macron Emmanuel Jean-Michel Frédéric Macron (; born 21 December 1977) is a French politician who has served as President of France and Co-Prince of Andorra since 2017. He was Ministry of Economy and Finance (France), Minister of Economics, Industr ...

References

, - {{DEFAULTSORT:Mezard, Jacques 1947 births Living people People from Aurillac Radical Party of the Left politicians Radical Movement politicians Ministers of agriculture of France French senators of the Fifth Republic Senators of Cantal French general councillors 20th-century French lawyers Paris 2 Panthéon-Assas University alumni Academic staff of the University of Paris Knights of the Ordre national du Mérite Members of the Constitutional Council (France)