Jean-Pierre Chevènement facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Jean-Pierre Chevènement
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| Minister of the Interior | |
| In office 4 June 1997 – 29 August 2000 |
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| Prime Minister | Lionel Jospin |
| Preceded by | Jean-Louis Debré |
| Succeeded by | Daniel Vaillant |
| Minister of Defence | |
| In office 12 May 1988 – 29 January 1991 |
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| Prime Minister | Michel Rocard |
| Preceded by | André Giraud |
| Succeeded by | Pierre Joxe |
| Minister of National Education | |
| In office 17 July 1984 – 20 March 1986 |
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| Prime Minister | Laurent Fabius |
| Preceded by | Alain Savary |
| Succeeded by | René Monory |
| Minister of Research and Industry | |
| In office 22 May 1981 – 23 March 1983 |
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| Prime Minister | Pierre Mauroy |
| Preceded by | Pierre Aigrain |
| Succeeded by | Laurent Fabius |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 9 March 1939 Belfort, Territoire de Belfort |
| Political party | SFIO (1964–1969) PS (1969-1993) MDC (1993–2002) Republican Pole (2002–2003) MRC (2003–2015) |
| Spouse | Nisa Chevènement |
| Children | Raphaël and Jean-Christophe |
| Alma mater | Sciences Po École nationale d'administration |
| Website | [1] |
Jean-Pierre Chevènement (born on March 9, 1939) is a well-known French politician. He served as a minister in the French government during the 1980s and 1990s. He is also remembered for running in the 2002 French presidential election.
After being the mayor of Belfort, he was elected to the Senate in 2008. He represented the Territoire de Belfort area. Jean-Pierre Chevènement helped start the Socialist Party (PS). He also founded the Citizen and Republican Movement (MRC). He is an important person in French left-wing politics.
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Jean-Pierre Chevènement's Early Life and Career
Where is Jean-Pierre Chevènement from?
The Chevènement family originally came from Switzerland. Their last name, Schwennemann, was changed to Chevènement in the 18th century. Jean-Pierre was born in Belfort, a city close to the Swiss border. He can speak German and studied in Vienna, Austria.
How did Jean-Pierre Chevènement start in politics?
Jean-Pierre Chevènement's political views are unique. He combines left-wing ideas with a strong sense of national pride. He calls his position "republican", which means he believes in a strong, united French republic. He was the Mayor of Belfort from 1983 to 2008. He also served as a Deputy in the National Assembly from 1973 to 2002.
He first joined a political party called the French Section of the Workers' International (SFIO). He then created a group called the Center for Socialist Studies, Research and Education (CERES). This group was the left-wing part of the SFIO. It wanted to work with the French Communist Party.
In 1969, the SFIO party changed and became the Socialist Party (PS). Two years later, CERES helped François Mitterrand take over the party. CERES played a big role in planning the Socialist Party's win in the 1981 elections.
Jean-Pierre Chevènement's Time as a Minister
What government roles did Jean-Pierre Chevènement have?
Jean-Pierre Chevènement became the Minister of Research and Industry in 1981. He resigned from this role in 1983. This was the first of three times he would resign from a government position. He disagreed with President Mitterrand's new economic plans. These plans were made to keep France in the European Monetary System. He once said that "a minister has to keep his mouth shut; if he wants to open it, he resigns." However, he returned to the government as Minister of National Education from 1984 to 1986.
In 1988, he became the Minister of Defence. He stayed in this role until 1991. He resigned because he did not agree with the Gulf War. After this, he opposed the Maastricht Treaty. This treaty was about creating a closer European Union. President Mitterrand and the Socialist Party supported the treaty. In 1993, he left the Socialist Party and started a new political party called the Citizens' Movement (MDC).
Chevènement and the MDC joined a group of parties called the Plural Left. When this group won the 1997 election, he became the Minister of the Interior. He served in the government led by Lionel Jospin.
What happened to Jean-Pierre Chevènement in 1998?
On September 2, 1998, Jean-Pierre Chevènement had surgery. After the surgery, he had a serious allergic reaction to the medicine. This caused him to fall into a coma for eight days. He slowly got better and left the hospital on October 22. However, he could not return to work for four more months. Because of this amazing recovery, people called him "the miracle of the republic."
In 2000, Chevènement resigned from the government for the third time. He did not agree with giving more independence to Corsica. He also wanted to prepare to run for president in the 2002 elections.
Jean-Pierre Chevènement's Presidential Campaign
Why did Jean-Pierre Chevènement run for president in 2002?
Jean-Pierre Chevènement ran in the 2002 French presidential election. He presented himself as a leader for "republicans." He spoke out against what he called the "Chirac/Jospin duo." He created a group called the Republican Pole. This group was for people with more left-wing nationalist views. He received 5% of the votes.
Many members of the Socialist Party blamed Chevènement. They believed his candidacy caused their candidate, Lionel Jospin, to lose in the first round of the election. Because of this, the Socialist Party supported a different candidate against him in the June 2002 election. He lost his seat in parliament to a candidate from the Union for a Popular Movement (UMP) party.
Jean-Pierre Chevènement's Later Political Life
What is the Citizen and Republican Movement?
The Republican Pole group later split up. Chevènement then created the Citizen and Republican Movement (MRC). This party described itself as a left-wing party. He later made up with the Socialist Party. He had thought about running for president again, but instead supported Ségolène Royal in the 2007 French presidential election. Even with the Socialist Party's support, he did not win back his seat in parliament in the 2007 French legislative election. He then announced he would not run for Mayor of Belfort again.
In 2004, he started a group called the "Res Publica" Foundation. This foundation works to promote the 'republican model' in France. It also aims to create a long-term political vision for the country. Chevènement has stated that Res Publica is not a political party.
In the Senate election on September 21, 2008, Chevènement was elected as a Senator. He represented the Territory of Belfort. In June 2014, he announced that he would not run in the 2014 French Senate election. He also tried to be a candidate for the 2012 French presidential election.
Jean-Pierre Chevènement's Political Ideas
Jean-Pierre Chevènement is a politician who believes in national independence and patriotism. He is sometimes called a "left-wing Gaullist." This means he supports a strong, independent France. He is against the idea of a "United States of Europe." He believes it could make nations disappear and create a system run by people who are not elected.
He has suggested changing the single European currency (Euro) into a common currency. This would allow countries to better control their own economies. It would also help the EU speak with one voice in the world. He has said that a strong Euro has negatively affected countries like Greece, Italy, Spain, and Portugal.
When he was in office, he wanted France to keep its special position in NATO. This meant being outside NATO's main military command. He was against France rejoining it in 2009. He also strongly supports the separation of church and state in France. He believes in a united nation where everyone shares common values.
Jean-Pierre Chevènement's Political Career Summary
Government Roles
- Minister of State, Minister of Research and Technology: 1981–1982
- Minister of State, Minister of Industry Research: 1982–1983
- Minister of National Education: 1984–1986
- Minister of Defense: 1988–1991
- Minister of Interior: 1997–2000
Elected Positions
National Assembly of France
- Member of the National Assembly of France for Territoire de Belfort: 1973–1981, 1986–1988, 1991–1997, 2000–2002.
Senate of France
- Senator for Territoire de Belfort: Since 2008.
Regional Council
- President of the Regional Council of Franche-Comté: 1981–1982.
- Regional councillor of Franche-Comté: 1974–1988.
City Council
- Mayor of Belfort: 1983–1997, 2001–2007.
- 1st deputy-mayor of Belfort: 1977–1983, 1997–2001.
- Municipal councillor of Belfort: 1977–2008.
Agglomeration Community Council
- President of the Agglomeration community of Belfort: 1977–2008.
- Member of the Agglomeration community of Belfort: 1977–2008.
Political Party Roles
- President of the Citizen and Republican Movement: Since 2008.
See also
In Spanish: Jean-Pierre Chevènement para niños
