Dominique de Villepin

Career

Diplomat

Villepin studied at the Paris Institute for Political Studies and went on to the Ecole nationale d'administration, France's highly selective post-graduate school which trains its top civil servants. Villepin also holds degrees in law and literature from the universities of Paris II Panthéon-Assas and Paris X Nanterre. At the end of his studies, Villepin embraced a career in diplomacy. His assignments were:

Related Topics:
The Paris Institute for Political Studies - Ecole nationale d'administration - Law - Literature - Paris II Panthéon-Assas - Paris X Nanterre

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

• Advising Committee on African affairs (1980-1984)
• The French embassy in Washington, D.C. (1984-1989)
• The embassy in New Delhi (1989-1992)
• Foreign Ministry's top adviser on Africa (1992-1993)

Politician

Villepin was introduced to Jacques Chirac in the early 1980s and became one of his advisers on foreign policy. In 1993 he became chief of staff (directeur de cabinet) of Alain Juppé, then Foreign Minister in Édouard Balladur's cabinet, and Chirac's political heir apparent.

Related Topics:
Jacques Chirac - 1980s - 1993 - Alain Juppé - Foreign Minister - Édouard Balladur - Heir apparent

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Villepin then became director of Chirac's successful 1995 presidential campaign and was rewarded with the key job of Secretary-General of the Élysée Palace during his first term as President of the Republic (1995-2002). He advised the president to hold an early general election in 1997, while the French National Assembly was overwhelmingly dominated by the president's party. This was a risky gamble, and Chirac's party went on to lose the elections. Villepin offered Chirac his resignation afterwards, but was turned down. This increased the perception among many politicians on the right that Villepin was aloof and had no experience or understanding of grassroots politics, and owed his enviable position only to being Chirac's protégé.

Related Topics:
1995 - Secretary-General - Élysée Palace - President of the Republic - 2002 - 1997 - French National Assembly

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Villepin has an uneasy relationship with the members of his own political side. He has in the past made a number of demeaning remarks on members of parliament from his own party. In addition, his mutual distaste for Nicolas Sarkozy, head of the Union for a Popular Movement majority party, is well known.

Related Topics:
Nicolas Sarkozy - Union for a Popular Movement

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Foreign Minister

He was appointed Foreign Minister by Chirac in the cabinet of Prime Minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin at the beginning of his second term in 2002.

Related Topics:
Prime Minister - Jean-Pierre Raffarin - 2002

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

A believer in the grandeur of France, Villepin is credited with nudging the French government's approach to the 2002 crisis in Côte d'Ivoire toward intransigence. As a result of this, French troops in Côte d'Ivoire became attacked by rebel mercenaries and retaliated, destroying their air force capabilities, but peace was eventually restored to the country under a cabinet uniting Laurent Gbagbo's ruling party and the rebels.

Related Topics:
France - 2002 - Côte d'Ivoire - Laurent Gbagbo

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

During the crisis in Haïti, Villepin once again showed himself to be a resolute decisionmaker, obtaining the backing of U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell in his bid to solve the crisis by ousting Jean-Bertrand Aristide from power.

Related Topics:
Haïti - U.S. - Secretary of State - Colin Powell - Jean-Bertrand Aristide

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

However, Villepin's most famous assignment as Chirac's Foreign Minister was opposing the U.S. plan to invade Iraq, making France look like the leader in a coalition of countries such as Germany, Russia and China that opposed the invasion. The speech he gave to the United Nations to block a second resolution allowing the use of force against Saddam Hussein's regime is regarded by some as an historic moment, receiving the rare distinction of loud applause.

Related Topics:
Invade - Iraq - Germany - Russia - China - United Nations - Saddam Hussein

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Interior Minister

During the cabinet reshuffle that made Nicolas Sarkozy Finance Minister, Villepin was appointed to replace him as Interior Minister on March 31 2004.

Related Topics:
Nicolas Sarkozy - Finance Minister - Interior Minister - March 31 - 2004

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

It was at this point that the rumours of Villepin being a favourite to replace the unpopular Jean-Pierre Raffarin as Prime Minister became insistent, as his combined experience of foreign affairs and home policy made him a most qualified candidate. It was also this assignment which highlighted the differences in views between Villepin and Sarkozy.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The main struggle at home for the interior ministers under Prime Minister Raffarin was the question of integrating France's five million Muslims, notably with regard to the fight against terrorism, and to the French doctrine of laïcité (secularism), which holds that religion should only be a part of one's private life and not have any influence on politics or public life.

Related Topics:
France - Muslims - Terrorism - Laïcité - Secularism - Religion

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

As Interior Minister, Sarkozy advocated a loosening laïcité, proclaiming his Catholic faith in a book concerning the issue. Villepin is a staunch defender of laïcité and advocated a tougher approach than Sarkozy against radical Islam which, in Villepin's view, breeds terrorism.

Related Topics:
Laïcité - Catholic

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

His actions against radical Islam included mandatory courses for Muslim clerics, notably in the French language (a third of them do not speak it), in moderate Muslim theology and in French secularism: laïcité, Republican principles and the law. While Sarkozy created the French Council of the Muslim Faith, an official body which is now dominated by radicals, Villepin would have preferred a "Muslim foundation," in which mosque-based representatives would be balanced by secular and moderate Muslims. This foundation would also aim to bring openness to the financing of mosques, much of which comes from abroad, notably from countries and organizations which are known to finance terrorist activities.

Related Topics:
French language - Republican principles - French Council of the Muslim Faith

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

He also cracked down on radical Muslim clerics, causing an uproar when he tried to expel Abdelkader Bouziane, an imam who taught that adulterous women could be whipped or stoned. When the decision to expel him was overturned by the courts, Villepin pushed a change of the law through Parliament and Bouziane was sent home.

Related Topics:
Imam - Stoned

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Prime Minister

With Alain Juppé barred from holding political office following a conviction of illegal party financing of a fake jobs plan, President Chirac is said to have turned his eye on Villepin as a possible successor, should he himself decide not to enter the 2007 presidential contest. However, Nicolas Sarkozy would probably be in a better position to secure the endorsement of the centre-right UMP party; a bitter rivalry is thus said to exist between Sarkozy and Villepin.

Related Topics:
Alain Juppé - Nicolas Sarkozy - UMP

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

On May 29 2005, French voters in the referendum on the Treaty establishing a Constitution for Europe turned down the proposed document by a wide margin. This was generally regarded as a rebuke to Chirac and his government. Two days later, Raffarin resigned and Chirac appointed Villepin as Prime Minister of France.

Related Topics:
May 29 - 2005 - Referendum - Treaty establishing a Constitution for Europe - Prime Minister of France

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

President (?)

Talk increasingly is turning, in France, to Villepin's probable candidacy in the next Presidential election, in 2007, when President Chirac is expected to retire. Chirac's absence from ill health at the recent UN summit provided a "place in the sun", for Villepin as his substitute there, raising protest cries of "dynasty" from their opponents: for instance, editor Jean-Marie Colombani of Le Monde, on September 13, 2005, wrote

Related Topics:
Next Presidential election - 2007 - UN - Summit - Jean-Marie Colombani - Le Monde - September 13 - 2005

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

:... a dynastic succession, coordinated to reveal the selection of a 'dauphin' for France. The most spectacular moment being the meeting at the UN between Dominique de Villepin and George Bush, a formidable signal that President Chirac has chosen his own successor.

Related Topics:
Dauphin - George Bush

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

However, as of 2005, the lead candidate for the UMP party is the head of UMP, the ambitious Nicolas Sarkozy. Sarkozy and Villepin are increasingly seen as direct competitors, even though they put on a diplomatic face of harmony.

Related Topics:
As of 2005 - UMP - Nicolas Sarkozy

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~