Édith Cresson facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Édith Cresson
Cresson in 1997
Prime Minister of France
In office 15 May 1991 – 2 April 1992
President	François Mitterrand
Preceded by	Michel Rocard
Succeeded by	Pierre Bérégovoy
European Commissioner for Research, Science and Technology
In office 23 January 1995 – 12 September 1999
President	Jacques Santer Manuel Marín (Acting)
Preceded by	Antonio Ruberti
Succeeded by	Philippe Busquin
Mayor of Châtellerault
In office 13 March 1983 – 25 May 1997
Preceded by	Geneviève Abelin [fr]
Succeeded by	Joël Tondusson
Member of the National Assembly for Vienne
In office 2 April 1986 – 28 July 1988
In office 2 July 1981 – 23 July 1981
Member of the European Parliament for France
In office 17 July 1979 – 16 June 1981
Mayor of Thuré
In office 20 March 1977 – 13 March 1983
Preceded by	Louis Tour Girard
Succeeded by	Claude Marquois
Personal details
Born	Édith Jeanne Thérèse Campion (1934-01-27) 27 January 1934 (age 91) Boulogne-Billancourt, France
Political party	PS (1971–present)
Other political affiliations	CIR (1965–1971)
Spouses	Jacques Cresson [fr] ​ ​ (m. 1959; died 2001)​
Children	2
Relatives	Fortuné Cresson [fr] (father-in-law)
Alma mater	HEC Jeunes Filles
Occupation	Economist • politician

Édith Cresson (born 27 January 1934) is a French politician. She is famous for being the first woman to serve as Prime Minister of France. She held this important role from 1991 to 1992. Before her, no woman had ever been Prime Minister in France.

French Prime Minister

Édith Cresson became Prime Minister on 15 May 1991. She was chosen by the President of France, François Mitterrand. Her time as Prime Minister was quite short, lasting less than a year. She left office after the Socialists did not do well in the regional elections in 1992. Her term was one of the shortest in the history of the Fifth Republic.

During her time as Prime Minister, Cresson made some strong comments about Japan's trade practices. These comments caused a lot of discussion and were seen as offensive by many people.

Her government also worked on important social policies. They passed a law in 1991 called the Urban Framework Act. This law aimed to make sure everyone had a "right to the city." It encouraged local areas to create good living conditions for all citizens. This helped prevent people from being separated by where they lived.

Cresson's government also focused on helping smaller businesses. They wanted to make it easier for companies with fewer than 500 employees to compete internationally. A law was passed in July 1991 to help people with disabilities. It aimed to improve their access to homes, workplaces, and public buildings. Another law in July 1991 made it easier for people, especially foreigners living legally in France, to get legal help.

In January 1992, housing support was expanded to help more low-income families in big cities. A water law was also passed in January 1992. Its goal was to protect water quality and aquatic ecosystems. In February 1992, a law was created to encourage citizens to share their opinions and be involved in decisions.

Édith Cresson is a member of the Council of Women World Leaders. This is a group of women who are or have been presidents or prime ministers. Their goal is to work together on important issues for women and fair development around the world.

European Commissioner

After being Prime Minister, Cresson became a European Commissioner. This is a high-ranking job in the European Union. While she was a Commissioner, there were serious questions about how money was managed in some programs. These issues led to the entire group of Commissioners, known as the Santer Commission, resigning in 1999.

The European Commission later stated that Cresson, as the Commissioner for Research, did not act when she knew about serious problems with how things were being run. She was found to have not reported issues in a youth training program where large amounts of money went missing.

Questions about hiring a friend

When Cresson started her job as a Commissioner, she wanted to hire a friend, Philippe Berthelot, as a personal advisor. However, he was 66 years old, which was too old for a regular advisor role. So, he was hired as a "visiting scientist" in September 1995.

Even though he was called a "visiting scientist," Berthelot mostly worked as a personal advisor to Cresson. His contract ended in March 1997, but he was given another contract for a year. European Union rules say that visiting scientists can only work for a maximum of 24 months. However, Berthelot stayed in the position for two and a half years.

Court's decision

In July 2006, the European Court of Justice made a decision about Édith Cresson. The Court said that she did not follow her duties properly as a European Commissioner. The Court decided that even though she did not follow her duties, simply stating this fact was enough of a "penalty." So, they did not take away her right to a pension or other benefits.

Cresson had argued that if a court found no criminal wrongdoing, then disciplinary actions should not be taken. However, the European Court of Justice said it could make its own decision. The Court decided that it was its job to look into whether her actions broke the rules for a Commissioner, regardless of other legal findings.

Political career

Édith Cresson has had a long career in politics. Here are some of the roles she has held:

• European Commissioner for Research, Innovation and Science, 1995–1999.

Government roles

• Prime Minister, 1991–1992.
• Minister of Agriculture, 1981–1983.
• Minister of Foreign Trade and Tourism, 1983–1984.
• Minister of Industrial Redeployment and Foreign Trade, 1984–1986.
• Minister of European Affairs, 1988–1990.

Elected roles

• Member of European Parliament, 1979–1981.
• Member of the National Assembly of France for Vienne, 1981, 1986–1988.
• General Councillor of Vienne, 1982–1998.
• Mayor of Châtellerault, 1983–1997.
• Deputy-Mayor of Châtellerault, 1997–2008.
• Municipal Councillor of Châtellerault, 1983–2008.
• Mayor of Thuré, 1977–1983.
• Municipal Councillor of Thuré, 1977–1983.

Personal life

Édith Cresson was married to Jacques Cresson from 1959 until his death in 2001. They had two daughters together.

Selected publications

• 1976: Avec le soleil, Paris: Éditions Jean-Claude Lattès
• 1989: L'Europe à votre porte: manuel pratique sur les actions de la CEE intéressant les opérateurs économiques, Centre français du commerce extérieur (with Henri Malosse)
• 1998: Innover ou subir. Paris: éditions Flammarion ISBN: 2-08-035504-X
• 2006: Histoires françaises. Monaco: Éditions du Rocher ISBN: 2-268-06015-2 (autobiography)

See also

In Spanish: Édith Cresson para niños