Dominique de Villepin

Villepin's first cabinet

In an address to the nation, Chirac has declared that the new cabinet's top priority would be to curb the unemployment level, which consistently hovers above 10%, calling for a "national mobilization" to that effect.

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Villepin's cabinet is marked by its small membership (for France), and its hierarchical unity: all members have the rank of minister, and there are no secretaries of State, the lowest cabinet member rank. The aim of this decision is for the cabinet to form a close-knit and more efficient team to combat unemployment.

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One of the main promises of Jean-Pierre Raffarin as he became Prime Minister was to spur growth and that "the end of President Chirac's term would be marked by a drop of the unemployment." The French economy is growing sluggishly and a significant drop in unemployment is yet to be seen. Villepin's aim is therefore to restore the French people's trust in their government, an achievement for which he has publicly set himself a deadline of a hundred days from the appointment of cabinet, a statement which can be viewed as ironic from a man whose first published book is titled The Hundred Days or the Spirit of Sacrifice.

Related Topics:
Jean-Pierre Raffarin - The Hundred Days

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Another issue is the European Constitution which appears condemned after its rejection by France and the Netherlands in referenda, and the shelving of the planned referendum in the United Kingdom.

Related Topics:
Netherlands - United Kingdom

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Some have speculated that Villepin, with his diplomatic experience and the prestige associated with the job of Prime Minister, would negotiate a new treaty with the European Union, while Sarkozy would run the country at home. However, what happened is that Villepin, formerly considered elitist and out-of-touch with the people, obtained favorable reviews from the press and increased popularity in polls. In particular, he is increasingly cited as a possible presidential contender for 2007, while Nicolas Sarkozy has publicly stated that he himself gave considerable attention to that election. While there are obvious tensions between partisans of both men, Villepin and Sarkozy have so far avoided any open division.

Related Topics:
European Union - Sarkozy

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Villepin has declared that lowering unemployment was the number one objective of his government (which, was also the case of other prime ministers before him, to no avail). He, as well as the UMP party, believe that France's workforce rules are too rigid and discourage employment, and that some liberalizing reforms are necessary in order to "correct" the French social model.

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On August 2, 2005, he issued ordinances establishing a new kind of work contract for young people, with fewer guarantees that ordinary contracts. Ordinances are legislative decisions that the executive takes in areas normally devoted to Parliament, after obtaining Parliament's authorization; they are normally reserved for urgent action, or for uncontroversial technical legislation. While Villepin's measures would surely have been approved by his wide UMP majority in Parliament, the use of ordinances was criticized by the opposition. Villepin justified the use of this procedure by the need to act fast, especially when Parliament was going on its summer recess.

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Another major issue in Villepin's government is the state of the national budget. France runs high deficits, which run afoul of the rules set in the EU Maastricht Treaty. Villepin's margin of maneuver in that respect is extremely slim.

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Membership

• Dominique de Villepin - Prime Minister

Ministers

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• Nicolas Sarkozy - Minister of State, Minister of the Interior
• Michèle Alliot-Marie - Minister of Defence
• Philippe Douste-Blazy - Minister of Foreign Affairs
• Jean-Louis Borloo - Minister of Employment, Social Cohesion and Housing
• Thierry Breton - Minister of the Economy, Finance and Industry
• Gilles de Robien - Minister of National Education
• Pascal Clément - Keeper of the Seals, Minister of Justice
• Dominique Perben - Minister of Transportation, Equipment, Tourism and the Sea
• Xavier Bertrand - Minister of Health and Solidarity
• Dominique Bussereau - Minister of Agriculture and Fishing
• Christian Jacob - Minister of Civil Service
• Renaud Donnedieu de Vabres - Minister of Culture and Communication
• Nelly Olin - Minister of Ecology and Sustainable Development
• François Baroin - Minister for Overseas France
• Renaud Dutreil - Minister of Small Businesses, Commerce, Craftsmanship and Self-Employed Professionals
• Jean-François Lamour - Minister of Youth, Sports, and Associative Life

Delegate ministers

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• Henri Cuq, delegate minister for relationships with Parliament;
• Azouz Begag, delegate minister for equal opportunities;
• Jean-François Copé, delegate minister for budget and the reform of the State, spokesman for the Government;
• Gérard Larcher, delegate minister for employment, work, and the professional insertion of the young;
• Catherine Vautrin, delegate minister for social cohesion and parity ;
• Brigitte Girardin, delegate minister for international cooperation, development and francophonie;
• Brice Hortefeux, delegate minister for local governments;
• Catherine Colonna, delegate minister for European affairs;
• François Goulard, delegate minister for higher education and research;
• Léon Bertrand, delegate minister for tourism;
• Philippe Bas, delegate minister for Social Security, the elderly, the handicapped, and the family;
• François Loos, delegate minister for industry;
• Christine Lagarde, delegate minister for foreign commerce;
• Hamlaoui Mékachéra, delegate minister for war veterans;
• Christian Estrosi, delegate minister for the management of the territory.