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Édouard Philippe
Édouard Philippe 2021 (cropped).jpg
Philippe in 2021
President of Le Havre Seine Métropole
Assumed office
5 July 2020
Preceded by Jean-Baptiste Gastinne
Mayor of Le Havre
Assumed office
5 July 2020
Preceded by Jean-Baptiste Gastinne
In office
23 October 2010 – 20 May 2017
Preceded by Antoine Rufenacht
Succeeded by Luc Lemonnier
Prime Minister of France
In office
15 May 2017 – 3 July 2020
President Emmanuel Macron
Preceded by Bernard Cazeneuve
Succeeded by Jean Castex
Member of the National Assembly
for Seine-Maritime's 7th constituency
In office
23 March 2012 – 15 June 2017
Preceded by Jean-Yves Besselat
Succeeded by Jean-Louis Rousselin
President of the
Agglomeration community of Le Havre
In office
18 December 2010 – 25 June 2017
Preceded by Antoine Rufenacht
Succeeded by Luc Lemonnier
Personal details
Born
Édouard Charles Philippe

(1970-11-28) 28 November 1970 (age 54)
Rouen, France
Political party Horizons (since 2021)
Other political
affiliations
PS (1990s)
UMP (2002–2015)
LR (2015–2017)
Spouse Édith Chabre
Children 3
Education Lycée Janson-de-Sailly
Alma mater Sciences Po
École nationale d'administration
Profession Lawyer
Signature

Édouard Charles Philippe (born 28 November 1970) is a French politician. He is currently the mayor of Le Havre, a city in France. He held this role from 2010 to 2017 and again since 2020.

From 2017 to 2020, Édouard Philippe served as the Prime Minister of France. He worked under President Emmanuel Macron during this time. Before becoming Prime Minister, he was a lawyer. He was also a member of the National Assembly, which is like France's parliament.

As Prime Minister, he helped pass new laws about work and taxes. He also played a key role in France's response to the COVID-19 pandemic in France. After leaving the Prime Minister's job, he became mayor of Le Havre again. In 2021, he started a new political party called Horizons.

Early Life and Education

Édouard Philippe was born in Rouen, France, in 1970. His parents were both teachers. He grew up in a family with a history of dockworkers.

He went to school in Rouen and nearby towns. He earned his high school diploma in Bonn, Germany. Later, he studied at two famous French schools: Sciences Po and the École nationale d'administration (ÉNA). These schools are known for training future leaders.

In 1994, Philippe served as an artillery officer in the military. After finishing his studies in 1997, he worked as a lawyer. He specialized in public procurement law at the Council of State.

Political Journey

In 2001, Édouard Philippe started his political career in Le Havre. He became the Deputy Mayor, helping with legal matters. He worked with Antoine Rufenacht, who was the mayor at the time.

Philippe joined the Union for a Popular Movement (UMP) party in 2002. This party later became The Republicans (LR). He worked for the UMP until 2004. He then worked in the private sector for a few years.

In 2007, he briefly returned to politics. He worked for Alain Juppé, who was a government minister. From 2007 to 2010, he worked for a company called Areva.

Mayor of Le Havre

In 2010, Édouard Philippe was elected mayor of Le Havre. He also became the President of the Agglomeration community of Le Havre. This role involves leading a group of towns around Le Havre.

In 2012, he became a member of the National Assembly. He represented the 7th area of Seine-Maritime. He was reelected as Mayor of Le Havre in 2014. He stepped down as mayor in 2017 when he became Prime Minister. However, he kept a seat on the city council.

2017 Presidential Election

In 2016, Philippe supported Alain Juppé in the primary election for the Republican party. After Juppé lost, Philippe joined François Fillon's campaign for the 2017 French presidential election. However, he left Fillon's campaign in March 2017 due to some issues.

After Emmanuel Macron won the presidential election, many people thought Philippe might become the new Prime Minister. He was seen as a good choice because he was young (46), from the center-right, and understood local politics.

Becoming Prime Minister

Baromètre politique Philippe
Public opinion on Édouard Philippe's performance

On 15 May 2017, President Emmanuel Macron officially appointed Édouard Philippe as the Prime Minister of France.

In the 2017 French legislative election, Macron's party, La République En Marche! (LREM), and its allies won a large majority of seats. Even though Philippe was still a member of The Republicans, he supported LREM because they backed his role as Prime Minister.

He formed his government on 21 May 2017. On 4 July 2017, he received a vote of confidence from the parliament. This meant he had enough support to lead the government.

Key Actions as Prime Minister

Philippe announced plans to reduce France's debt. This included raising cigarette taxes and cutting government spending. He also planned to lower corporate tax for businesses.

His government worked on changing labor laws. These changes aimed to give companies more flexibility in how they work with employees. This was a major economic reform promised by President Macron.

On 12 July 2017, Philippe announced a new plan for immigration. The plan aimed to speed up asylum claims and provide housing for refugees.

On 3 July 2020, Édouard Philippe resigned as Prime Minister. Soon after, he successfully ran for mayor of Le Havre again. In 2024, he announced his intention to run for president in 2027.

Personal Life

Édouard Philippe 2021 (cropped)
Philippe in 2021

Édouard Philippe is married to Édith Chabre. She is an executive director at the School of Law at Sciences Po. They have three children together.

Since the mid-2010s, Philippe has had a short beard. He is the first French Prime Minister with a full beard in over a century. He is also one of the few Prime Ministers in the last 100 years to be older than the president he served.

Philippe has shared that he has vitiligo, a skin condition that causes white patches on his skin and hair. He also announced in 2023 that he has alopecia areata, which causes hair loss.

He enjoys boxing as a regular hobby.

Awards and Recognition

Ribbon bar Honour Date and comment
Ordre national du Merite GC ribbon.svg Grand Cross of the National Order of Merit 22 November 2017 – by right as Prime Minister
Legion Honneur GO ribbon.svg Grand Officer of the Order of the Legion of Honour 2020

International Awards

Ribbon bar Country Honour Date
AUS Order of Australia (civil) BAR.svg Australia Honorary Officer of the Order of Australia 11 November 2018
Order of Merit - Grand Cross (Senegal) - ribbon bar.png Senegal Grand Cross of the Order of Merit 2019

Published Works

2021-06-29 13-04-28 - Fontainebleau - Édouard Philippe séance dédicace
Philippe signing copies of his book Impressions and Clear Lines in Fontainebleau on 29 June 2021.

Édouard Philippe has co-written two fiction books:

  • Dans l'ombre (In the Shadow)
  • Des hommes qui lisent (Men Who Read)

These books are political thrillers. They tell stories about presidential elections with twists and turns.

In 2015, Philippe wrote the introduction for a book called Promenades avec Oscar Niemeyer by Danielle Knapp.

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Édouard Philippe para niños

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