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 | Lorient, France |
30 June 1947
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 served as the Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs from 2017 to 2022. Before that, he was the Minister of Defence from 2012 to 2017. He worked under Presidents François Hollande and Emmanuel Macron.
Le Drian was once a member of the Socialist Party. Later, he became an independent politician. In 2020, he helped start a new political group called Territories of Progress.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Jean-Yves Le Drian was born in Lorient, France. His parents, Jean and Louisette, were working-class people. They were 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 Highlights
Starting in Politics
In 1977, Le Drian became the Deputy Mayor of Lorient. A year later, at age 30, he became a member of the National Assembly. This is like being a member of parliament. He served in this role for many years.
He also became the Mayor of Lorient in 1981. He held this position until 1988. From 1991 to 1992, he was the Secretary of State for the Sea. He worked under President François Mitterrand.
Leading Brittany
In 2004, Le Drian led a group of parties in the regional elections. He won a large number of votes in Brittany. This made him the President of the Regional Council of Brittany. In 2010, he also became the President of a group called the Conference of Peripheral Maritime Regions of Europe (CPMR).
Minister of Defence (2012–2017)

On 16 May 2012, Jean-Yves Le Drian was chosen to be the Minister of Defence. He worked under President François Hollande. In this role, he managed important military actions.
- He oversaw the withdrawal of French troops from Afghanistan.
- He also managed the deployment of French troops in Mali and Operation Barkhane.
- He helped increase France's weapons exports. This led to deals worth billions of euros. These deals included the first exports of the Dassault Rafale fighter jet.
Before the 2017 presidential election, Le Drian supported Emmanuel Macron. After Macron won, he appointed Le Drian as the Foreign Minister.
Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs (2017–2022)

Le Drian continued as Foreign Minister in the next government. On 8 March 2018, he officially left the Socialist Party.
In August 2019, Le Drian asked Hong Kong leaders to talk with protesters. He wanted them to find a peaceful solution to the ongoing crisis. In October 2019, he spoke out against Turkey's military actions in Syria. He said it put European security at risk.

In 2020, Le Drian co-founded a new political group. It was called Territories of Progress. He started it with fellow minister Olivier Dussopt.
In September 2021, a new security agreement called AUKUS was announced. This pact was between the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Australia cancelled a large submarine deal with France because of this. Le Drian said this was a "stab in the back." France then recalled its ambassadors from Australia and the US. This was a very unusual step.
In November 2021, Le Drian spoke about economic challenges in Africa. He mentioned concerns about China and Russia's influence. He believed European countries needed to improve their relationships with Africa.
Personal Envoy for Lebanon (2023–Present)
In 2023, President Macron chose Le Drian for a special role. He became Macron's personal envoy for Lebanon. This means he helps with diplomatic efforts related to 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)
See also
In Spanish: Jean-Yves Le Drian para niños