Jean-Yves Le Drian Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Jean-Yves Le Drian
Le Drian in 2016

Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs
In office 17 May 2017 – 20 May 2022
Prime Minister	Édouard Philippe Jean Castex
Preceded by	Jean-Marc Ayrault
Succeeded by	Catherine Colonna
President of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe
In office 17 May 2019 – 27 November 2019
Preceded by	Timo Soini
Succeeded by	David Zalkaliani
President of the Regional Council of Brittany
In office 18 December 2015 – 2 June 2017
Preceded by	Pierrick Massiot
Succeeded by	Loïg Chesnais-Girard
In office 2 April 2004 – 29 June 2012
Preceded by	Josselin de Rohan
Succeeded by	Pierrick Massiot
Minister of Defence
In office 16 May 2012 – 10 May 2017
Prime Minister	Jean-Marc Ayrault Manuel Valls Bernard Cazeneuve
Preceded by	Gérard Longuet
Succeeded by	Sylvie Goulard
Secretary of State for the Sea
In office 16 May 1991 – 2 April 1992
Prime Minister	Édith Cresson
Preceded by	Jacques Mellick
Succeeded by	Charles Josselin
Mayor of Lorient
In office 4 July 1981 – 2 April 1998
Preceded by	Jean Lagarde
Succeeded by	Norbert Métairie
Member of the National Assembly for Morbihan
In office 12 June 1997 – 19 June 2007
Preceded by	Michel Godard
Succeeded by	Françoise Olivier-Coupeau
Constituency	5th
In office 3 April 1978 – 1 April 1991
Preceded by	Yves Allainmat
Succeeded by	Pierre Victoria
Constituency	5th (1978–1986) At-large (1986–1988) 5th (1988–1991)

Personal details
Born	(1947-06-30) 30 June 1947 (age 78) Lorient, France
Political party	RE (2022–present)
Other political affiliations	UDB (1970s) PS (1974–2018) Independent (2018–2020) TDP (2020–2022)
Alma mater	University of Rennes 2

Jean-Yves Le Drian (born 30 June 1947) is a French politician. He held important jobs in the French government. He was the Minister of Europe and Foreign Affairs from 2017 to 2022. Before that, he was the Minister of Defence from 2012 to 2017. He was a member of the Socialist Party for a long time. Later, he became an independent politician and started a new group called Territories of Progress.

Early Life and Education
Political Career
Awards and Honours
See also

Early Life and Education

Jean-Yves Le Drian was born in Lorient, France. His parents, Jean and Louisette, were working-class and active in a Christian youth group.

He studied at the University of Rennes 2. While there, he was involved in student activism. In the early 1970s, he was interested in the Breton Democratic Union. In May 1974, he joined the Socialist Party.

Political Career

Starting in Politics

In 1977, Jean-Yves Le Drian became the Deputy Mayor of Lorient. A year later, at age 30, he became a member of the National Assembly for Morbihan. He served in this role until 1993, and then again from 1997 to 2007.

He became the Mayor of Lorient in 1981 and stayed in that job until 1988. He also served as the Secretary of State for the Sea from 1991 to 1992 under President François Mitterrand.

In 2004, he became the President of the Regional Council of Brittany. This means he led the government of the Brittany region in France. In October 2010, he became the President of a group called the Conference of Peripheral Maritime Regions of Europe.

Minister of Defence (2012–2017)

Jean-Yves Le Drian at the École Polytechnique in 2015, with Emmanuel Macron, who was then the Minister of the Economy

On 16 May 2012, Jean-Yves Le Drian was chosen to be the Minister of Defence under President François Hollande. In this role, he managed important military actions. He oversaw the removal of French troops from Afghanistan. He also managed the deployment of French troops in conflicts in Northern Mali and Operation Barkhane.

He is also known for helping France sell more weapons to other countries. This led to deals worth billions of euros. These deals included the first sales of the Dassault Rafale fighter jet to other nations.

Before the 2017 presidential election, Le Drian supported Emmanuel Macron for President. After Macron won, he appointed Le Drian as the Foreign Minister.

Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs (2017–2022)

Le Drian with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken in 2021

Jean-Yves Le Drian continued as Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs in the next government. On 8 March 2018, he officially left the Socialist Party.

In August 2019, Le Drian asked authorities in Hong Kong to talk with protesters. He hoped they could find a peaceful way to solve the ongoing crisis. On 9 October 2019, he spoke out against Turkey's military actions in Northeastern Syria. He said these actions put the safety of Europeans at risk.

Le Drian with Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif in 2018

In 2020, Le Drian started a new political group called Territories of Progress. He created it with another minister, Olivier Dussopt.

In September 2021, a security agreement called AUKUS was announced. This agreement was between the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. It caused some diplomatic problems for France. Australia canceled a large contract to buy French submarines. This news came just hours before it was made public.

Le Drian and the French armed forces minister, Florence Parly, said they were disappointed. Le Drian called the contract cancellation a "stab in the back." France then recalled its ambassadors from Australia and the US. This was a very unusual step for France.

Le Drian with Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias in 2021

In November 2021, Le Drian spoke about economic challenges in African countries. He pointed to China and Russia, saying they had "no taboos or limits." He believed that European countries needed to improve their relationships with Africa.

Personal Envoy for Lebanon (2023–Present)

In 2023, President Macron named Le Drian as his special representative for Lebanon. In this role, he works to help with political issues in Lebanon.

Awards and Honours

Jean-Yves Le Drian has received many awards and honours from different countries:

Grand Officier of the Order of Valour ( Cameroon)
Grand Cordon of the Order of the Republic ( Egypt)
Officer of the Legion of Honour ( France)
Commander of the Ordre du Mérite Maritime ( France)
Medal of the Order of the Golden Fleece ( Georgia)
Knight Commander of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany ( Germany)
Commander of the National Order of the Ivory Coast ( Ivory Coast)
Grand Cordon of the Order of the Rising Sun ( Japan)
Grand Officier of the National Order of Mali ( Mali)
Sash of the Order of the Aztec Eagle ( Mexico)
Commander's Cross with Star of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland ( Poland)
Grand Officer of the National Order of the Lion ( Senegal)
Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Isabella the Catholic ( Spain)