Richard Ferrand facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Richard Ferrand
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Ferrand in 2019
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| President of the Constitutional Council | |
| Assumed office 8 March 2025 |
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| Appointed by | Emmanuel Macron |
| Preceded by | Laurent Fabius |
| President of the National Assembly | |
| In office 12 September 2018 – 21 June 2022 |
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| Preceded by | François de Rugy |
| Succeeded by | Yaël Braun-Pivet |
| President of the La République En Marche! group in the National Assembly | |
| In office 27 June 2017 – 12 September 2018 |
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| Preceded by | Group established |
| Succeeded by | Gilles Le Gendre |
| Minister of Territorial Cohesion | |
| In office 17 May 2017 – 19 June 2017 |
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| President | Emmanuel Macron |
| Prime Minister | Édouard Philippe |
| Preceded by | Emmanuelle Cosse |
| Succeeded by | Jacques Mézard |
| Member of the National Assembly for Finistère's 6th constituency |
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| In office 19 June 2012 – 21 June 2022 |
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| Preceded by | Christian Ménard |
| Succeeded by | Mélanie Thomin |
| General Secretary of En Marche! | |
| In office 1 October 2016 – 22 June 2017 |
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| President | Emmanuel Macron Catherine Barbaroux (Acting) |
| Preceded by | Ludovic Chaker |
| Succeeded by | Stéphane Roques |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1 July 1962 Rodez, France |
| Political party | Renaissance (2016–present) |
| Other political affiliations |
Socialist Party (1980–2017) |
| Alma mater | Toulouse 1 University Capitole Paris Descartes University |
Richard Ferrand (born 1 July 1962) is a French politician. He has been the President of the Constitutional Council since March 2025. This council makes sure that laws follow the French Constitution.
Before this, he was the President of the National Assembly from 2018 to 2022. The National Assembly is like the main parliament in France, where laws are debated and voted on. He also served as a member of the National Assembly for his local area, Finistère's 6th constituency, from 2012 to 2022.
Ferrand was a long-time member of the Socialist Party. Later, he became the General Secretary of La République En Marche! (LREM), a new political party. He briefly worked as a minister in the government in 2017. He stepped down from this role due to questions raised about his actions. After that, he became the leader of his party's group in the National Assembly. He was then elected to lead the entire National Assembly.
In 2022, he was one of only a few leaders of the French lower house to lose his position in an election. This had only happened twice before in French history.
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Early Life and Education
Richard Ferrand was born on 1 July 1962 in Rodez, France. He finished high school in Bünde, Germany. He then studied German and Law at Toulouse 1 University Capitole and Paris Descartes University. He joined the Socialist Party when he was 18 years old.
After university, Ferrand worked as a journalist for several newspapers and magazines. In 1991, he became an advisor for Kofi Yamgnane. Yamgnane was a government official at the time.
Political Journey
Joining the Socialist Party
Ferrand joined the Socialist Party (PS) in 1980. His first elected role was as a local councillor in Carhaix-Plouguer in 1998. He ran for mayor in 2001 and 2008 but did not win.
In 2010, he became a councillor for the Finistère region. He led the socialist group in the regional council.
Becoming a Member of Parliament
In 2007, Ferrand ran to be a Member of the National Assembly for Finistère's 6th constituency. He lost that election. However, in 2012, he ran again for the same area and won. He received 58.3% of the votes in the second round.
Work in the National Assembly (2012-2022)
As a Member of the National Assembly, Ferrand was part of the Socialist group. He worked on important committees, including the National Defence and Armed Forces Committee and the Social Affairs Committee. He was very interested in social issues and how workers are treated.
He worked on reports about European workers. He noted that workers sometimes feel left out when cheaper labor is used. He supported ideas to limit this practice.
Ferrand also spoke out about a tax called the "eco-tax." He felt the tax system was too complicated. He asked the Minister of Energy to rethink the tax plan.
In 2014, the Prime Minister asked Ferrand and the Minister of Economy, Emmanuel Macron, to work on new rules for the job market. Ferrand looked at laws that might stop jobs from growing. He talked to many groups and experts. He then suggested 28 ideas to help young people find jobs.
These ideas led to a new law called the "Act for Growth, Activity and Equal Opportunity," also known as the Macron law. This law aimed to change many areas, like transport, savings, and job courts. Ferrand was a key person in getting this law passed. It was debated for over 100 hours in the National Assembly. The law allowed stores to open on Sundays and made transport services more open.
Leading En Marche!
On 16 October 2016, Richard Ferrand was chosen by Emmanuel Macron to be the General Secretary of En Marche! This was a new political party. Ferrand had worked closely with Macron before. The next month, he left his role in the Socialist Party. He officially left the Socialist Party in May 2017.
Minister for Territorial Cohesion (2017)
On 17 May 2017, Ferrand became the Minister for the Cohesion of Territories. This was a new government role that combined several older ministries.
Soon after, questions were raised about some of his actions. On 19 June 2017, he stepped down from his role as minister. This happened just one day after he was re-elected as a Member of Parliament. President Macron asked him to lead the LREM party in the National Assembly instead.
Leader of the LREM Group (2017)
On 24 June 2017, Ferrand was officially elected as the leader of the La République En Marche! group in the National Assembly. He received many votes from his party members.
From November 2017 to June 2022, Ferrand was also part of the main leadership team for the LREM party.
President of the National Assembly (2018-2022)
On 12 September 2018, Ferrand was elected President of the National Assembly. He replaced another LREM member, François de Rugy. As the leader of the Assembly, Ferrand helped make big changes to how the lower house works in May 2019.
Later that year, there was a controversy about how a vote was counted on an amendment.
Before the 2022 elections, he helped create a group of parties. This group included LREM and two other parties, Democratic Movement and Horizons. They worked together to choose candidates for the election.
In the 2022 French legislative election, Ferrand lost his seat in the National Assembly to Mélanie Thomin. He became one of only three leaders of the French lower house in history to lose his re-election as a Member of Parliament.
Consultant Work (2022-2025)
After leaving the National Assembly in 2022, Richard Ferrand started his own consulting company in October 2022.
President of the Constitutional Council
On 19 February 2025, President Emmanuel Macron appointed Richard Ferrand as the President of the Constitutional Council. This appointment was approved by a small majority of votes. The Constitutional Council makes sure that new laws follow the rules of the French Constitution.
