Xavier Bertrand facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Xavier Bertrand
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Bertrand in 2023
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| President of the Regional Council of Hauts-de-France |
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| Assumed office 4 January 2016 |
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| Preceded by |
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| Mayor of Saint-Quentin | |
| In office 4 October 2010 – 14 January 2016 |
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| Preceded by | Pierre André |
| Succeeded by | Frédérique Macarez |
| Minister of Labour, Employment and Health | |
| In office 14 November 2010 – 10 May 2012 |
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| President | Nicolas Sarkozy |
| Prime Minister | François Fillon |
| Preceded by |
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| Succeeded by |
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| Secretary-General of the Union for a Popular Movement | |
| In office 5 December 2008 – 17 November 2010 |
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| Preceded by | Patrick Devedjian |
| Succeeded by | Jean-François Copé |
| Minister of Labour, Social Relations and Solidarity | |
| In office 18 May 2007 – 15 January 2009 |
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| President | Nicolas Sarkozy |
| Prime Minister | François Fillon |
| Preceded by | Jean-Louis Borloo (Labour, Social Cohesion and Housing) |
| Succeeded by | Brice Hortefeux (Labor, Social Relations, Family, Solidarity and the City) |
| Minister of Health and Solidarity | |
| In office 2 June 2005 – 26 March 2007 |
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| President | Jacques Chirac |
| Prime Minister | Dominique de Villepin |
| Preceded by | Philippe Douste-Blazy (Health and Sports) |
| Succeeded by |
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| Member of the National Assembly for the Aisne's 2nd constituency |
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| In office 19 June 2002 – 12 January 2016 |
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| Preceded by | Odette Grzegrzulka |
| Succeeded by | Julien Dive |
| Departmental Councillor of Aisne | |
| In office 27 March 1998 – 19 June 2002 |
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| President | Jean-Pierre Balligand Yves Daudigny |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Xavier René Louis Bertrand
21 March 1965 Châlons-sur-Marne, France |
| Political party | LR (2015–2017; 2021–2024) |
| Other political affiliations |
RPR (1981–2002) UMP (2002–2015) |
| Spouses | Isabelle Dubois (divorced) Emmanuelle Gontier
(m. 1998; div. 2014)Vanessa Williot
(m. 2018) |
| Children | 5 |
| Alma mater | University of Reims Champagne-Ardenne |
Xavier René Louis Bertrand (born March 21, 1965) is a French politician. He has been the president of the regional council of Hauts-de-France since the 2015 regional elections.
Before this, Bertrand held several important roles in the French government. He was the Minister of Health from 2005 to 2007. Later, he served as the Minister of Labour, Social Affairs and Solidarity from 2007 to 2009. From 2010 to 2012, he was the Minister of Labour, Employment, and Health. He also played a key part in Nicolas Sarkozy's presidential campaign in 2007. Bertrand was a member of the Union for a Popular Movement (UMP), which later became The Republicans, until he left the party in December 2017.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Xavier Bertrand was born on March 21, 1965, in Châlons-sur-Marne, France. He studied at the University of Reims Champagne-Ardenne. There, he earned a master's degree in public law. He also received a special advanced degree in local administration.
Before starting his political career, Bertrand worked as an insurance agent.
Political Career
Starting in Politics
Xavier Bertrand became involved in politics at a young age. When he was sixteen, he volunteered for the Rally for the Republic (RPR) party. He quickly became active in political life.
In 1992, Bertrand led a campaign in his local area, the Aisne department, against the Maastricht Treaty. This treaty was about creating closer ties within Europe. At that time, he was an assistant to the mayor of Saint-Quentin, Aisne. He helped start the "Saint-Quentin beach" event, which was similar to the "Paris-Plage" event. From 1997 to 2002, he worked as a parliamentary assistant. In 2002, he was elected to the National Assembly, representing his local area.
In 2003, Alain Juppé, who was the leader of the Union for a Popular Movement (UMP) party, asked Bertrand to explain a new plan for pension reform across France. Bertrand was chosen to defend this plan in the National Assembly.
Working in Government
Xavier Bertrand gained positive attention in French politics. In March 2004, he was appointed Junior Health Minister for Health Insurance. In this role, he helped lead a reform of the health insurance system. He also strongly supported a European Constitution in a public vote in May 2005.
After the public voted "no" to the European Constitution, the Prime Minister resigned. Bertrand then became the Senior Minister for Health in the new government. During his time as Health Minister, he dealt with the chikungunya epidemic. He also helped pass a law against smoking in public places.
In 2007, Bertrand supported Nicolas Sarkozy for president. He became Sarkozy's official spokesperson for the campaign. After Sarkozy won, Bertrand was named Minister of Labour, Social Affairs, and Solidarity in May 2007. He continued in this role and later served as Minister of Labour, Employment, and Health from 2010 to 2012.
Later Political Roles
After the 2012 elections, Bertrand ran to lead his party's group in parliament but was not chosen.
In the 2015 regional elections, Xavier Bertrand won. He became the president of the Regional Council of Hauts-de-France.
In 2017, during a political issue involving his party's presidential candidate, Bertrand joined other politicians in suggesting a different candidate.
In 2020, Bertrand showed interest in running for President in the 2022 French presidential election. Many thought he would be a strong candidate for the center-right. However, at his party's meeting in 2021, he finished fourth. He then supported another candidate, Valérie Pécresse.
In the 2021 regional elections, Bertrand was re-elected as president of the Hauts-de-France region. He won with 52.37 percent of the votes.
In late 2021, Bertrand started a new political movement called "Nous France" (meaning "We France").
Political Ideas
Ideas for France
Xavier Bertrand is seen as a politician who holds moderate right-wing views in France.
In 2013, Bertrand worked with other politicians to question a new law. This law would have given the government more power to look at phone and internet data. He believed this law needed to be reviewed.
In 2014, Bertrand said he wanted to change or remove the law that allowed same-sex couples to marry. He also stated he was against adoption by same-sex couples.
Before the 2022 elections, Bertrand supported ideas for a more open economy. He wanted to cut taxes for businesses by half. He also suggested delaying the retirement age by two years. He proposed changes to unemployment benefits, making them stricter. Bertrand also talked about bringing more industries back to France and setting limits on immigration.
Ideas for Foreign Policy
In July 2014, Bertrand supported France's decision to deliver a warship to Russia. This was despite some allies asking France not to, because of the conflict between Russia and Ukraine. The deal was later canceled.
During his presidential campaign in 2021, Bertrand suggested that France should become more independent. He thought France should leave NATO's main command structure.
Personal Life
Xavier Bertrand married Emmanuelle Gontier in 1998. They had three children, including a set of twins. They later divorced in 2014. He married Vanessa Williot in 2018.
See also
In Spanish: Xavier Bertrand para niños
