François Fillon

François Fillon
François Fillon

168th Prime Minister of France
19th Prime Minister of Fifth Republic
Incumbent
Assumed office 
17 May 2007
President Nicolas Sarkozy
Preceded by Dominique de Villepin

Minister of National Education
In office
31 March 2004 – 2 June 2005
Prime Minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin
Dominique de Villepin
Preceded by Luc Ferry
Succeeded by Gilles de Robien

Minister of Social Affairs
In office
7 May 2002 – 31 March 2004
Prime Minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin
Preceded by Élisabeth Guigou
Succeeded by Jean-Louis Borloo

Born 4 March 1954 (1954-03-04) (age 55)
Le Mans, France
Political party UMP
Spouse Penelope Fillon
Occupation Lawyer
Religion Roman Catholic

François Fillon (IPA[fʁɑ̃.swa fi.jɔ̃]; born 4 March 1954 in Le Mans, Sarthe) is the current Prime Minister of France, having been appointed to that office by President Nicolas Sarkozy on 17 May 2007.[1]

As a member of the UMP party, Fillon became Jean-Pierre Raffarin's Minister of Labour in 2002 and undertook controversial reforms of the 35-hour working week law and of the French retirement system (Loi Fillon). He became Minister of Education and Research in 2004 and proposed the much debated Fillon law on Education. In 2005, he was not included in the new government headed by Dominique de Villepin, but was elected senator for the Sarthe département. His role as a political advisor in Nicolas Sarkozy's successful race for president led to his current role.

Contents

Early life

The Fillon family has its roots in the Sarthe area.

François Fillon's father is a civil law notary, whilst his mother, Anne Fillon, is a celebrated historian and his youngest brother, Dominique, is a talented pianist.[2]

Fillon lives with his wife, Penelope, and five children, Marie, Charles, Antoine, Édouard and Arnaud, in the 12th century Château de Beaucé, set in 20 acres (8 ha) of woodland on the banks of the River Sarthe at the famous monastery village of Solesmes, near Sablé-sur-Sarthe about halfway between Le Mans and Angers. M. and Mme Fillon resided in various other properties, always in the Sarthe, throughout their marriage, before buying Beaucé in 1993.[2]

Family roots and connections with United Kingdom

François Fillon speaking in the Assemblée nationale.

Fillon has a reputation as an Anglophile and has had speaking engagements at a wide variety of universities in Britain, notably the London School of Economics.[3]

His wife Penelope Kathryn Clarke was born in the village of Llanover, near Abergavenny in Wales, like him the child of a solicitor. They met while she was teaching English in her gap year in Le Mans, and they were married in the bride's family church in June 1980.[4] Many notable guests attended their wedding, including the solicitor Gillian Powell, and her husband Graham.[2][5][6] Fillon's younger brother, Pierre, an ophthalmic specialist, later married Penelope Fillon's younger sister, Jane.

Having lived all his life in the Le Mans area and now representing it politically, Fillon is an enthusiastic supporter of the city's famous 24 hour sportscar race, which he has attended nearly every year since he was a small child. He is a member of the Automobile Club de l'Ouest, which stages the event, and is on the race's organisation committee. He has competed himself in the Le Mans Legend historic sportscar races on the full 24-hour circuit and in a number of other classic road rallies.[7]

Professional résumé

Education

Political career

Early appointments

Local elective career

Party positions

Parliamentary career

Ministerial career

Prime Minister

The day after he became President, Nicolas Sarkozy appointed Fillon as Prime Minister of France, charging him with the task of forming a new cabinet, which was announced on 18 May 2007.[8] By appointing as Secretary of State André Santini, who had been indicted in the Fondation Hamon affair on charges of corruption, Fillon broke for the first time since 1992 with the so-called "Balladur jurisprudence," according to which an indicted governmental personality should resign until the case is closed [9].

Fillon's First Government

From 17 May to 18 June 2007.

Ministers

Secretaries of State

High Commissioner

Fillon's Second Government

Appointed on 19 June 2007 [10]

Ministers

Secretaries of State

High Commissioner

Shuffles

Appointment of Secretary of State for Sport

22 October 2007[12]

After Municipal Elections of 2008

18 March 2008[13]
There was a shuffle of the secretaries of state following the municipal elections of 16 March 2008.

New Secretaries of State
Changes of attributions - Ministers
Changes of attributions - Secretaries of State

In December 2008

Awards and honours

References

  1. "Communiqué de la Présidence de la République concernant la nomination du Premier ministre" (in French). Élysée Palace (2007-05-17). Retrieved on 2007-05-17.
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 "Welshwoman prepares for life in French No 10". telegraph.co.uk (2007-05-07). Retrieved on 2007-05-12.
  3. "Anglophile Fillon is new French PM". Guardian Unlimited (2007-05-18). Retrieved on 2007-05-18.
  4. "Madame Rosbif pricks Gallic pride". The Times (2007-10-07). Retrieved on 2007-10-07.
  5. "Sarkozy's first hundred days". Guardian Unlimited (2007-05-06). Retrieved on 2007-05-12.
  6. "François Fillon - Minister for National Education, Higher Education and Research". Embassy of France in the United States (2004-03-31). Retrieved on 2007-05-12.
  7. "Le Mans racer to be France's next Prime Minister?". GrandPrix.com (2007-05-07). Retrieved on 2007-05-12.
  8. Communiqué de la Présidence de la République concernant la composition du gouvernement de M. François FILLON, Premier ministre. Élysée Palace, 18 May 2007
  9. La mise en examen de M. Santini n'a pas empêché sa nomination au gouvernement, Le Monde, 22 June 2007 (French)
  10. Communiqué de la Présidence de la République annonçant la composition du gouvernement. Élysée Palace, 19 June 2007
  11. Communiqué de la Présidence de la République concernant la démission du gouvernement de M. François FILLON. Élysée Palace, 18 June 2007
  12. Bernard Laporte, secrétaire d'Etat chargé des sports
  13. Décret de nomination du gouvernement
  14. Décret de nomination du gouvernement

External links

Political offices
Preceded by
Elisabeth Guigou
Minister of Social Affairs of France
2002 – 2004
Succeeded by
Jean-Louis Borloo
Preceded by
Luc Ferry
Minister of National Education of France
2004 – 2005
Succeeded by
Gilles de Robien
Preceded by
Dominique de Villepin
Prime Minister of France
2007 – present
Incumbent
Persondata
NAME Fillon, François
ALTERNATIVE NAMES
SHORT DESCRIPTION Prime Minister of France
DATE OF BIRTH 4 March 1954
PLACE OF BIRTH Le Mans, Sarthe
DATE OF DEATH
PLACE OF DEATH