Cécile Duflot
Encyclopedia
Cécile Duflot is a French
politician. She is Party Secretary (i.e. leader) of Europe Écologie–The Greens
, a position she has held since November 2006 and is, with Jean-Luc Bennahmias
, the only Green leader to have served two consecutive terms (although Dominique Planck served three non-consecutive ones).
ist), Cécile Duflot spent her childhood and adolescence in district of Montereau-Surville before returning to her native town, Villeneuve-Saint-Georges, in the early 1990s. She is a town planner by profession, a graduate of the ESSEC
(top French Business School), and holds a master's degree in Geography.
Her first activist commitments were in the Jeunesse ouvrière chrétienne ("Young Christian Workers") and the Ligue pour la protection des oiseaux ("Birds' Protection League").
A divorcee, Cécile Duflot is the mother of three girls and a boy in a reformed family. She still works in social housing.
in 2001, she stood in the municipal elections at Villeneuve-Saint-Georges that same year. She became an opposition municipal councillor in the town in June 2004.
In 2003, she joined the electoral college of the Greens; she organised the acquisition of their national headquarters. She became spokesperson for the party in January 2005. That same year on World Water Day, she swam in the Seine
in Paris
with three other members of the electoral college to denounce river pollution in France and to match Jacques Chirac
's promise, when he was Mayor of Paris, to swim in the Seine.
On 16 November 2006 she was elected National Secretary of the Conseil National Inter Régional, succeeding Yann Wehrling
. At the age of 31, she was the youngest ever National Secretary of the Greens.
At the end of 2006, she stood for the party's primary to nominate the presidential candidate for the French presidential election, 2007
. Earning 23.29 % of the vote, she came third after Dominique Voynet
and Yves Cochet
, and did not qualify for the second round.
In the 2007 legislative elections, she was the Green Party candidate in the third district of Val-De-Marne and gained 3.55 % of the vote.
In March 2008 during the municipal elections at Villeneuve-St-Georges, she came in second place on a unified ticket of the PS, the MRC, the PRG and the Greens after socialist Laurent Dutheil. The ticket earned 24.36 %.
On 6 December 2008, introducing a motion synthesizing four of the six activists' voting slips three weeks earlier, she was re-offered the post of National Secretary of the Greens with 70.99% of the votes. With Jean-Luc Benhamias, she is the only secretary to be offered a second consecutive term, Dominique Plancke having completed three terms of one year.
During her first term, she worked to establish Europe Écologie
for the European Elections of 2009. She is not eligible as a candidate in this body, preferring to focus on her mandate as National Secretary.
On August 25, 2009, Cecile Duflot announced her candidacy for president of the regional council of Ile de France on the French regional elections which will be held in 2010.
In 2010, she along with Monica Frassoni
, Renate Künast
, and Marina Silva
were named by Foreign Policy
magazine to its list of top global thinkers, for taking Green
mainstream.
French people
The French are a nation that share a common French culture and speak the French language as a mother tongue. Historically, the French population are descended from peoples of Celtic, Latin and Germanic origin, and are today a mixture of several ethnic groups...
politician. She is Party Secretary (i.e. leader) of Europe Écologie–The Greens
Europe Écologie–The Greens
Europe Écologie–The Greens is a green political party in France, formed in 2010 from the merger of the Greens and other ecologists and regionalists who formerly composed together the Europe Écologie coalition for the 2009 European elections....
, a position she has held since November 2006 and is, with Jean-Luc Bennahmias
Jean-Luc Bennahmias
Jean-Luc Bennahmias is a French politician and Member of the European Parliament for the south-east of France. He is a member of the Democratic Movement , and sits on the European Parliament's Committee on Employment and Social Affairs.He is also a substitute for the Committee on Culture and...
, the only Green leader to have served two consecutive terms (although Dominique Planck served three non-consecutive ones).
Biography
The eldest daughter of a railway unionist and a physics and chemistry teacher (who was herself also a unionTrade union
A trade union, trades union or labor union is an organization of workers that have banded together to achieve common goals such as better working conditions. The trade union, through its leadership, bargains with the employer on behalf of union members and negotiates labour contracts with...
ist), Cécile Duflot spent her childhood and adolescence in district of Montereau-Surville before returning to her native town, Villeneuve-Saint-Georges, in the early 1990s. She is a town planner by profession, a graduate of the ESSEC
ESSEC
ESSEC is one of the foremost business schools and Grandes Écoles in France and one of Europe’s top business schools. It was created by Jesuits in 1907 and was originally located in the heart of Paris, next to the University of Paris II: Panthéon-Assas, rue d'Assas...
(top French Business School), and holds a master's degree in Geography.
Her first activist commitments were in the Jeunesse ouvrière chrétienne ("Young Christian Workers") and the Ligue pour la protection des oiseaux ("Birds' Protection League").
A divorcee, Cécile Duflot is the mother of three girls and a boy in a reformed family. She still works in social housing.
Political career
After joining The GreensThe Greens (France)
The Greens were a Green political party to the centre-left of the political spectrum in France. They had officially been in existence since 1984, but their spiritual roots could be traced as far back as René Dumont’s candidacy for the presidency in 1974...
in 2001, she stood in the municipal elections at Villeneuve-Saint-Georges that same year. She became an opposition municipal councillor in the town in June 2004.
In 2003, she joined the electoral college of the Greens; she organised the acquisition of their national headquarters. She became spokesperson for the party in January 2005. That same year on World Water Day, she swam in the Seine
Seine
The Seine is a -long river and an important commercial waterway within the Paris Basin in the north of France. It rises at Saint-Seine near Dijon in northeastern France in the Langres plateau, flowing through Paris and into the English Channel at Le Havre . It is navigable by ocean-going vessels...
in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
with three other members of the electoral college to denounce river pollution in France and to match Jacques Chirac
Jacques Chirac
Jacques René Chirac is a French politician who served as President of France from 1995 to 2007. He previously served as Prime Minister of France from 1974 to 1976 and from 1986 to 1988 , and as Mayor of Paris from 1977 to 1995.After completing his studies of the DEA's degree at the...
's promise, when he was Mayor of Paris, to swim in the Seine.
On 16 November 2006 she was elected National Secretary of the Conseil National Inter Régional, succeeding Yann Wehrling
Yann Wehrling
Yann Wehrling is an illustrator, French politician and former leader of the political party The Greens.-Life:...
. At the age of 31, she was the youngest ever National Secretary of the Greens.
At the end of 2006, she stood for the party's primary to nominate the presidential candidate for the French presidential election, 2007
French presidential election, 2007
The 2007 French presidential election, the ninth of the Fifth French Republic was held to elect the successor to Jacques Chirac as president of France for a five-year term.The winner, decided on 5 and 6 May 2007, was Nicolas Sarkozy...
. Earning 23.29 % of the vote, she came third after Dominique Voynet
Dominique Voynet
Dominique Voynet was a French senator for the département of Seine-Saint-Denis, the mayor of Montreuil and a member of The Greens.-Life:...
and Yves Cochet
Yves Cochet
Yves Cochet is a French politician, member of The Greens. He was minister in the government of Lionel Jospin.He wrote Apocalypse pétrole which was published in 2005.-External links:*...
, and did not qualify for the second round.
In the 2007 legislative elections, she was the Green Party candidate in the third district of Val-De-Marne and gained 3.55 % of the vote.
In March 2008 during the municipal elections at Villeneuve-St-Georges, she came in second place on a unified ticket of the PS, the MRC, the PRG and the Greens after socialist Laurent Dutheil. The ticket earned 24.36 %.
On 6 December 2008, introducing a motion synthesizing four of the six activists' voting slips three weeks earlier, she was re-offered the post of National Secretary of the Greens with 70.99% of the votes. With Jean-Luc Benhamias, she is the only secretary to be offered a second consecutive term, Dominique Plancke having completed three terms of one year.
During her first term, she worked to establish Europe Écologie
Europe Écologie
Europe Écologie was a French electoral coalition created for the 2009 European elections composed of The Greens and other ecologists and regionalists....
for the European Elections of 2009. She is not eligible as a candidate in this body, preferring to focus on her mandate as National Secretary.
On August 25, 2009, Cecile Duflot announced her candidacy for president of the regional council of Ile de France on the French regional elections which will be held in 2010.
In 2010, she along with Monica Frassoni
Monica Frassoni
Monica Frassoni is an Italian politician and was a Member of the European Parliament for the North West of Italy until 2009. She is a member of the Italian Green Party, part of the European Greens. Frassoni was co-chair, together with Daniel Cohn-Bendit, of the European Greens–European Free...
, Renate Künast
Renate Künast
Renate Künast is a German politician who is chairwoman of the Alliance '90/The Greens Bundestag parliamentary group. She was the Minister of Consumer Protection, Food and Agriculture from 2001 to 2005...
, and Marina Silva
Marina Silva
Maria Osmarina Marina Silva Vaz de Lima is a Brazilian environmentalist and politician. Ms. Silva was a colleague of Chico Mendes, who was assassinated for defending the Amazon environment. She was a member of the Partido dos Trabalhadores until August 19, 2009 and served as a senator before...
were named by Foreign Policy
Foreign Policy
Foreign Policy is a bimonthly American magazine founded in 1970 by Samuel P. Huntington and Warren Demian Manshel.Originally, the magazine was a quarterly...
magazine to its list of top global thinkers, for taking Green
Green politics
Green politics is a political ideology that aims for the creation of an ecologically sustainable society rooted in environmentalism, social liberalism, and grassroots democracy...
mainstream.