Michel Mercier (born 7 March 1947) is a French politician and who served as
Minister of Justice
A justice ministry, ministry of justice, or department of justice, is a ministry or other government agency in charge of the administration of justice. The ministry or department is often headed by a minister of justice (minister for justice in a ...
from 2010 until 2012.
After studying law and graduating from
Jean Moulin University Law school and the
Lyon IEP, he taught finance and local government law at the Faculty of Law of
Lyon III.
Elected Senator from the
Rhône
The Rhône ( , ; Occitan language, Occitan: ''Ròse''; Franco-Provençal, Arpitan: ''Rôno'') is a major river in France and Switzerland, rising in the Alps and flowing west and south through Lake Geneva and Southeastern France before dischargi ...
on 24 September 1995, he was the right's official candidate in the
municipal elections in 2001 in
Lyon
Lyon (Franco-Provençal: ''Liyon'') is a city in France. It is located at the confluence of the rivers Rhône and Saône, to the northwest of the French Alps, southeast of Paris, north of Marseille, southwest of Geneva, Switzerland, north ...
, incumbent Mayor
Raymond Barre
Raymond Octave Joseph Barre (; 12 April 192425 August 2007) was a French politician and economist. He was a Vice President of the European Commission and Commissioner for Economic and Financial Affairs under three presidents ( Rey, Malfatti a ...
having refused to run for re-election. Arriving behind the right-wing dissident list supported by
Charles Millon in his sector, the
5th arrondissement of Lyon, he decided to withdraw in favor of
Jean-Michel Dubernard, who established an alliance with
Charles Millon. The Socialist
Gérard Collomb was elected Mayor of Lyon.
He was re-elected Senator on 26 September 2004. General councillor for the
canton of Thizy, he is also
President of the General Council
In France, the President of the Departmental Council (French language, French: ''Président du Conseil départemental'') is the locally elected head of the Departmental councils (France), departmental council, the assembly governing a Departments ...
of Rhône since February 1990. Treasurer of the
UDF, he remained loyal to the opposition of
François Bayrou
François René Jean Lucien Bayrou (; born 25 May 1951) is a French politician who has served as Prime Minister of France since December 2024. He has presided over the European Democratic Party (EDP) since 2004 and the Democratic Movement (France ...
vis-à-vis the government of
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 ...
.
President of the
Centrist Union Senate group since 2002, he remained faithful to François Bayrou by joining the
MoDem
The Democratic Movement (, ; MoDem ) is a centre to centre-right political party in France, whose main ideological trends are liberalism and Christian democracy, and that is characterised by a strong pro-Europeanist stance. MoDem was establis ...
. On 30 January 2008, Michel Mercier, by favouring an alliance with the UMP in Lyon, whose list was led by
Dominique Perben for the
2008 municipal elections signaled his disagreement with the strategy of François Bayrou by resigning the presidency of the MoDem in Rhône. He remained MoDem treasurer and member of the executive board of the MoDem until his appointment to the government.
On 23 June 2009, he joined the government of
François Fillon
François Charles Amand Fillon (; born 4 March 1954) is a French retired 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 ...
as Minister of Rural Areas and Spatial Planning. He announced his
hiatus from the MoDem and was replaced as treasurer by
Jean-Jacques Jégou.
From 14 November 2010 he was Minister of justice in the 3rd government of François Fillon.
After the defeat of
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. In 2021, he was found guilty of having tried to bribe a judge in 2014 to obtain information ...
at the
2012 Presidential election, he was replaced by
Christiane Taubira
Christiane Marie Taubira (; born 2 February 1952) is a French politician who served as Minister of Justice of France in the governments of Prime Ministers Jean-Marc Ayrault and Manuel Valls under President François Hollande from 2012 until 20 ...
. During his tenure as Minister, he was criticized for his lack of communication.
Political career
Governmental functions
Keeper of the Seals, Minister of Justice and Freedoms : 2010–2012.
Minister of Rural Areas and Spatial Planning : 2009–2010.
Electoral mandates
''National Assembly of France''
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
Rhône (departement) (8th constituency) : 1993–1995 (Resignation, elected senator in 1995).
''Senate of France''
Senator of
Rhône (departement) : 1995–2009 (Became minister in 2009). Elected in 1995, reelected in 2004.
''Regional Council''
Vice-president of the Regional Council of
Rhône-Alpes
Rhône-Alpes () was an administrative region of France. Since 1 January 2016, it is part of the new region Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes. It is located on the eastern border of the country, towards the south. The region was named after the river Rhône a ...
: 1992–1993 (Resignation).
Regional councillor of
Rhône-Alpes
Rhône-Alpes () was an administrative region of France. Since 1 January 2016, it is part of the new region Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes. It is located on the eastern border of the country, towards the south. The region was named after the river Rhône a ...
: 1992–1993 (Resignation).
''General Council''
President of the General Council of
Rhône (departement) : Since 1990. Reelected in 1992, 1994, 1998, 2001, 2004, 2008.
General councillor of
Rhône (departement) : Since 1978. Reelected in 1979, 1985, 1992, 1998, 2004.
''Municipal Council''
Mayor of
Thizy, Rhône : 1977–2001. Reelected in 1983, 1989, 1995.
Deputy-Mayor of
Thizy, Rhône : since 2006. Reelected in 2008.
Municipal councillor of
Thizy, Rhône : Since 1971. Reelected in 1983, 1989, 1995, 2001, 2008.
''Community of communes Council''
President of the
Communauté de communes of Pays d'Amplepuis Thizy : 1994–2001. Reelected in 1995.
1st vice-president of the
Communauté de communes of Pays d'Amplepuis Thizy : Since 2001. Reelected in 2008.
Member of the
Communauté de communes of Pays d'Amplepuis Thizy : Since 1994. Reelected in 1995, 2001, 2008.
Decorations
Knight of the
Order of the Holy Sepulchre (lieutenancy of France)
References
Page on the Senate website
, -
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mercier, Michel
1947 births
Living people
Centre of Social Democrats politicians
Union for French Democracy politicians
Democratic Movement (France) politicians
Democratic European Force politicians
Union of Democrats and Independents politicians
Ministers of justice of France
Deputies of the 10th National Assembly of the French Fifth Republic
Members of Parliament for Rhône
French senators of the Fifth Republic
Senators of Rhône (department)
Members of the Order of the Holy Sepulchre