Dominique de Villepin facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Dominique de Villepin
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Villepin in 2010
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| Prime Minister of France | |
| In office 31 May 2005 – 17 May 2007 |
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| President | Jacques Chirac |
| Preceded by | Jean-Pierre Raffarin |
| Succeeded by | François Fillon |
| Minister of the Interior | |
| In office 31 March 2004 – 31 May 2005 |
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| Prime Minister | Jean-Pierre Raffarin |
| Preceded by | Nicolas Sarkozy |
| Succeeded by | Nicolas Sarkozy |
| Minister of Foreign Affairs | |
| In office 7 May 2002 – 31 March 2004 |
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| Prime Minister | Jean-Pierre Raffarin |
| Preceded by | Hubert Védrine |
| Succeeded by | Michel Barnier |
| Secretary General to the President | |
| In office 17 May 1995 – 6 May 2002 |
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| President | Jacques Chirac |
| Preceded by | Hubert Védrine |
| Succeeded by | Philippe Bas |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Dominique Marie François René Galouzeau de Villepin
14 November 1953 Rabat, Morocco |
| Nationality | French |
| Political party | Solidary Republic (2010–present) |
| Other political affiliations |
Rally for the Republic (before 2002) Union for a Popular Movement (2002–2010) |
| Spouse |
Marie-Laure Le Guay
(m. 1985; div. 2011) |
| Children | 3 (including Marie) |
| Relatives | Xavier de Villepin (father) Philippe Le Guay (brother-in-law) |
| Alma mater | Sciences Po École nationale d'administration Panthéon-Assas University Paris Nanterre University |
Dominique de Villepin (born 14 November 1953) is a French politician. He served as the Prime Minister of France from 2005 to 2007 under President Jacques Chirac. Before becoming Prime Minister, he was the Minister of Foreign Affairs and later the Minister of the Interior.
De Villepin became well-known internationally as the Minister of Foreign Affairs. He strongly opposed the 2003 invasion of Iraq. He gave a famous speech at the United Nations about this. After his time as Prime Minister, he faced some legal challenges but was later cleared. He has also written many books, including poetry and historical essays.
Early Life and Education
Dominique de Villepin was born in Rabat, Morocco. He spent part of his childhood in Venezuela and the United States. He has mentioned that he "grew up in the United States." During his teenage years, he was inspired by American poets and the "Beat Generation" movement. He graduated from the Lycée Français de New York in 1971. He has three children: Marie, Arthur, and Victoire.
Even though his name sounds noble, Villepin does not come from an aristocratic family. His ancestors added "de" to their name. His father, Xavier de Villepin, was a diplomat and a member of the French Senate. Dominique de Villepin speaks French, English, and Spanish.
He studied at the Institut d'Études Politiques de Paris (Sciences Po). He also attended the École nationale d'administration (ENA), a special school that trains top government officials in France. He has degrees in law and French literature. After his studies, he served in the military as a naval officer.
Political Career
Becoming a Diplomat
After his military service, Villepin began a career in diplomacy. This means he worked for the French government to manage relationships with other countries. He worked in different roles, including:
- Advising on African affairs from 1980 to 1984.
- Working at the French embassy in Washington, D.C. from 1984 to 1989.
- Working at the French embassy in New Delhi, India, from 1989 to 1992.
- Serving as the Foreign Ministry's main adviser on Africa from 1992 to 1993.
Early Roles in Government
In the early 1980s, Villepin met Jacques Chirac and became one of his foreign policy advisers. In 1993, he became the chief of staff for Alain Juppé, who was the Foreign Minister at the time.
Villepin then managed Chirac's successful campaign to become president in 1995. After Chirac won, Villepin was given an important job: Secretary-General of the Élysée Palace. This meant he was a key adviser to the President. In 1997, he advised President Chirac to hold an early election, but Chirac's party lost. Villepin offered to resign, but Chirac refused. Some politicians felt Villepin lacked experience in local politics.
Minister of Foreign Affairs
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In 2002, President Chirac appointed Villepin as the Minister of Foreign Affairs. This was during the second term of Chirac's presidency.
One of Villepin's most famous moments was when he strongly opposed the United States' plan to invade Iraq in 2003. France, along with countries like Germany and Russia, did not support the invasion. Villepin gave a powerful speech at the UN Security Council explaining France's position, which received a lot of attention.
Minister of the Interior
In 2004, Villepin became the Minister of the Interior. In this role, he focused on national security and internal affairs. He introduced measures for Muslim religious leaders, such as requiring them to take courses in French language and French laws. This was to help them understand and respect French values like laïcité (secularism).
Prime Minister of France
On May 29, 2005, French voters rejected a proposed European Constitution in a national vote. Two days later, the Prime Minister resigned, and President Chirac appointed Dominique de Villepin as the new Prime Minister of France.
When he became Prime Minister, Villepin said his main goal was to reduce unemployment in France. He formed a small cabinet (group of ministers) to work closely and efficiently on this issue. He wanted to restore the French people's trust in their government.
Youth Employment Law
Villepin believed that France's labor laws were too strict and made it hard for businesses to hire new people. He wanted to make some changes to help create more jobs.
In 2006, he introduced a new type of work contract for young people under 26, called the Contrat première embauche (CPE), or "First Employment Contract." This law allowed employers to fire young workers within the first two years without giving a specific reason. The idea was to encourage companies to hire more young people, as it would be easier to let them go if they weren't a good fit.
However, this law caused huge protests across France. Many students and unions felt that the CPE was unfair and made young people's jobs insecure. Large demonstrations took place, with millions of people protesting. The government eventually had to give in, and President Chirac withdrew the CPE law on April 10, 2006. This event significantly impacted Villepin's popularity.
Resignation
On May 15, 2007, Dominique de Villepin resigned from his position as Prime Minister. This was on the last full day of President Jacques Chirac's term. He was replaced by François Fillon two days later.
After Being Prime Minister
Legal Challenges
After leaving office, Dominique de Villepin was involved in a legal case known as the "Clearstream affair." This case involved false accusations against politicians. Villepin was accused of being involved in allowing these false accusations to proceed against his political rival, Nicolas Sarkozy. However, after a long legal process, Villepin was fully cleared of all charges in 2010 and again in 2011 by an appeals court.
Other Activities
After his time as Prime Minister, Dominique de Villepin returned to working as a lawyer. He has traveled for business to many countries. He also advises large companies and organizations.
In 2010, Villepin started a new political party called République Solidaire. He hoped to run for president in the 2012 elections, but he did not get enough support from elected officials to become a candidate.
In 2017, he supported Emmanuel Macron in the French presidential election. In March 2020, he opened an art gallery in Hong Kong with his son, Arthur.
Honours
French Honours
Commander of the Legion of Honour (2023)
Grand Cross in the National Order of Merit (2005)
Foreign Honours
Grand Officer of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic (Italy)
Commander Grand Cross with Chain Order of the Three Stars (Latvia)
Commander's Grand Cross of the Order of the Lithuanian Grand Duke Gediminas (Lithuania)
Grand Commander of the Order for Merits to Lithuania (Lithuania)
Grand Officer of the Order of Saint-Charles (Monaco)
Grand Cross of the Royal Norwegian Order of Merit (Norway)
Grand Cross with Star of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland (Poland)
Grand Cross of the Order of Prince Henry (Portugal)
Grand Officer of the Order of the Star of Romania (Romania)
Medal of the Oriental Republic of Uruguay (Uruguay).
See also
- List of foreign ministers of France
- List of interior ministers of France
- List of prime ministers of France
- Politics of France
- The comic book Quai d'Orsay and the 2013 film Quai d'Orsay were inspired by experiences in Villepin's Foreign Ministry.
