Michèle Alliot-Marie
Encyclopedia
Michèle Jeanne Honorine Alliot-Marie, born 10 September 1946 and nicknamed MAM, is a French
politician
of the Union for a Popular Movement
(UMP). A member of all but one right-wing governments of the 1980s, 1990s and 2000s, she was the first woman in France to hold the portfolios of Defense
(2002-2007), the Interior
(2007-2009) and Foreign Affairs (2010-2011). She has also been in charge of Youth and Sports
(1993-1995) and Justice (2009-2010), and was granted the honorary rank of Minister of State in her last two offices.
She resigned in 2011 after nine years in government due to her position during the Tunisian revolution
, and is currently Deputy for Pyrénées-Atlantiques
and Deputy Mayor of Saint-Jean-de-Luz
, as well as Vice President of the UMP.
Alliot-Marie was the last President of the Rally for the Republic
(1999-2002), the last incarnation of the Gaullist party
, and was the first woman to chair a major French political party. She has remained a leading Gaullist
after the RPR merged into the UMP and was seen as a rival to Nicolas Sarkozy
before and after his election as President in 2007
, although direct confrontation was always avoided.
Alliot-Marie is a law
and political science
scholar. Her companion is Patrick Ollier
, Minister in charge of Relations with Parliament in the Fillon II government; both were ministers simultaneously for a few months in 2010-2011, the first time a couple ever sat in a French government.
, Val-de-Marne
, to Bernard Marie, the Mayor of Biarritz
and a famous international rugby referee.
She studied law at the Paris-II University (Panthéon-Assas) where she obtained her PhD. Before her career in politics, she was a senior lecturer at the Paris-I University (Panthéon-Sorbonne), and also spent some time practicing law. She holds a doctorate of law, a doctorate in political science
and a Master’s degree in ethnology
.
between 1983 and 1988 and of Biarritz
, of which her father was the Mayor until 1991, between 1989 and 1995.
She then served as Mayor of Saint-Jean-de-Luz
until 2002, and as First Deputy Mayor since then. She was also a member and a Vice President of the General Council of Pyrénées-Atlantiques
between 1994 and 2001.
to represent Pyrénées-Atlantiques
in 1986 as a member of the Gaullist Rally for the Republic
(RPR). She has been seating in the Assembly ever since, except when she sat in the government.
She served as Secretary of State (junior minister) for Schools under the Minister of National Education
in Jacques Chirac
's second government from 1986 to 1988 and as Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports
in Édouard Balladur
's gouvernment from 1993 to 1995.
From 1989 to 1994, she was a Member of the European Parliament
.
(UMP), a merger she opposed at first.
magazine declared her the 57th most powerful woman in the world in 2006 and the 11th in 2007. She kept the Defense portfolio in Jean-Pierre Raffarin
’s three governments and in Dominique de Villepin
’s governement.
She remained a leading Gaullist after the RPR merger into the UMP, and created her own movement within the party, Le Chêne (The Oak). Although she publicly considered competing with Nicolas Sarkozy
for the UMP nomination in the 2007 presidential election
, she ruled herself out of the running in January 2007 and endorsed Sarkozy. Sarkozy and Alliot-Marie had a history of disagreements in the party’s National Council.
in François Fillon
's government, being the first woman to hold the position.
Two years later, after the 2009 European Parliament election
, she appointed Minister of Justice and Liberties and Keeper of the Seals
and was bestowed the title of Minister of State, which gave her the most senior rank in the government after the Prime Minister. She was made a Vice President of the UMP the same year.
When civil unrest began in Tunisia in early 2010
, Alliot-Marie came under scrutiny for going on vacation there during the events, as she had frequently done in the past. She further caused controversy when she told the National Assembly that French riot police could be offered to help restore order.; she was specifically criticised for allegedly sending teargas to Tunisia as late as January 2011.
Her situation embarrassing the government, she resigned as Foreign Minister on 27 February 2011 after only a few months in office. She was succeeded by outgoing Defense Minister and former Prime Minister Alain Juppé
.
Electoral mandates
National Assembly
General Council
Municipal Council
Party political offices
In the French media, she is nicknamed "MAM".
Since 1988, her life partner has been Patrick Ollier
, who briefly served as President of the National Assembly in 2007 and subsequently chaired the Assembly’s Economy Committee. In November 2010, he was appointed Minister in charge of Relations with Parliament in the Fillon II government. Both were ministers simultaneously for a few months in 2010-2011, the first time a couple ever sat in a French government. Due to her higher public profile, he has been nicknamed “Patrick Ollier-Marie” or “POM”.
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France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
of the Union for a Popular Movement
Union for a Popular Movement
The Union for a Popular Movement is a centre-right political party in France, and one of the two major contemporary political parties in the country along with the center-left Socialist Party...
(UMP). A member of all but one right-wing governments of the 1980s, 1990s and 2000s, she was the first woman in France to hold the portfolios of Defense
Minister of Defence (France)
The Minister of Defense and Veterans Affairs is the French government cabinet member charged with running the military of France....
(2002-2007), the Interior
Minister of the Interior (France)
The Minister of the Interior in France is one of the most important governmental cabinet positions, responsible for the following:* The general interior security of the country, with respect to criminal acts or natural catastrophes...
(2007-2009) and Foreign Affairs (2010-2011). She has also been in charge of Youth and Sports
Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports (France)
The Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports is, in the Government of France, the cabinet member in charge of national and public sport associations, youth affairs, public sports centers and national stadia...
(1993-1995) and Justice (2009-2010), and was granted the honorary rank of Minister of State in her last two offices.
She resigned in 2011 after nine years in government due to her position during the Tunisian revolution
Tunisian revolution
The Tunisian Revolution is an intensive campaign of civil resistance, including a series of street demonstrations taking place in Tunisia. The events began in December 2010 and led to the ousting of longtime President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali in January 2011...
, and is currently Deputy for Pyrénées-Atlantiques
Pyrénées-Atlantiques
Pyrénées-Atlantiques is a department in the southwest of France which takes its name from the Pyrenees mountains and the Atlantic Ocean.- History :...
and Deputy Mayor of Saint-Jean-de-Luz
Saint-Jean-de-Luz
Saint-Jean-de-Luz is a commune in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department in south-western France.Saint-Jean-de-Luz is part of the province Basque of Labourd and the Basque Eurocity Bayonne - San Sebastian .-Geography:...
, as well as Vice President of the UMP.
Alliot-Marie was the last President of the Rally for the Republic
Rally for the Republic
The Rally for the Republic , was a French right-wing political party. Originating from the Union of Democrats for the Republic , it was founded by Jacques Chirac in 1976 and presented itself as the heir of Gaullism...
(1999-2002), the last incarnation of the Gaullist party
Gaullist Party
In France, the Gaullist Party is usually used to refer to the largest party professing to be Gaullist. Gaullism claimed to transcend the left/right rift...
, and was the first woman to chair a major French political party. She has remained a leading Gaullist
Gaullism
Gaullism is a French political ideology based on the thought and action of Resistance leader then president Charles de Gaulle.-Foreign policy:...
after the RPR merged into the UMP and was seen as a rival to Nicolas Sarkozy
Nicolas Sarkozy
Nicolas Sarkozy is the 23rd and current President of the French Republic and ex officio Co-Prince of Andorra. He assumed the office on 16 May 2007 after defeating the Socialist Party candidate Ségolène Royal 10 days earlier....
before and after his election as President in 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...
, although direct confrontation was always avoided.
Alliot-Marie is a law
Law
Law is a system of rules and guidelines which are enforced through social institutions to govern behavior, wherever possible. It shapes politics, economics and society in numerous ways and serves as a social mediator of relations between people. Contract law regulates everything from buying a bus...
and political science
Political science
Political Science is a social science discipline concerned with the study of the state, government and politics. Aristotle defined it as the study of the state. It deals extensively with the theory and practice of politics, and the analysis of political systems and political behavior...
scholar. Her companion is Patrick Ollier
Patrick Ollier
Patrick Ollier is a French MP for the UMP party and the Mayor of Rueil-Malmaison. He was briefly the President of the National Assembly in 2007. He is the partner of Michèle Alliot-Marie, Minister of Foreign and European Affairs in the government of François Fillon.He was elected on 16 June 2002,...
, Minister in charge of Relations with Parliament in the Fillon II government; both were ministers simultaneously for a few months in 2010-2011, the first time a couple ever sat in a French government.
Early life
Michèle Marie was born on 10 September 1946 in Villeneuve-le-RoiVilleneuve-le-Roi
Villeneuve-le-Roi is a commune in the southern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the center of Paris.Paris-Orly Airport is partially located in the commune.-Twin towns:...
, Val-de-Marne
Val-de-Marne
Val-de-Marne is a French department, named after the Marne River, located in the Île-de-France region. The department is situated to the southeast of the city of Paris.- Geography :...
, to Bernard Marie, the Mayor of Biarritz
Biarritz
Biarritz is a city which lies on the Bay of Biscay, on the Atlantic coast, in south-western France. It is a luxurious seaside town and is popular with tourists and surfers....
and a famous international rugby referee.
She studied law at the Paris-II University (Panthéon-Assas) where she obtained her PhD. Before her career in politics, she was a senior lecturer at the Paris-I University (Panthéon-Sorbonne), and also spent some time practicing law. She holds a doctorate of law, a doctorate in political science
Political science
Political Science is a social science discipline concerned with the study of the state, government and politics. Aristotle defined it as the study of the state. It deals extensively with the theory and practice of politics, and the analysis of political systems and political behavior...
and a Master’s degree in ethnology
Ethnology
Ethnology is the branch of anthropology that compares and analyzes the origins, distribution, technology, religion, language, and social structure of the ethnic, racial, and/or national divisions of humanity.-Scientific discipline:Compared to ethnography, the study of single groups through direct...
.
Local politics
Before entering national politics, Alliot-Marie was a Municipal Councillor of CiboureCiboure
Ciboure is a commune in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department in south-western France.It lies across the river Nivelle from the harbour of Saint-Jean-de-Luz....
between 1983 and 1988 and of Biarritz
Biarritz
Biarritz is a city which lies on the Bay of Biscay, on the Atlantic coast, in south-western France. It is a luxurious seaside town and is popular with tourists and surfers....
, of which her father was the Mayor until 1991, between 1989 and 1995.
She then served as Mayor of Saint-Jean-de-Luz
Saint-Jean-de-Luz
Saint-Jean-de-Luz is a commune in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department in south-western France.Saint-Jean-de-Luz is part of the province Basque of Labourd and the Basque Eurocity Bayonne - San Sebastian .-Geography:...
until 2002, and as First Deputy Mayor since then. She was also a member and a Vice President of the General Council of Pyrénées-Atlantiques
Pyrénées-Atlantiques
Pyrénées-Atlantiques is a department in the southwest of France which takes its name from the Pyrenees mountains and the Atlantic Ocean.- History :...
between 1994 and 2001.
National politics
Alliot-Marie was elected to the National AssemblyFrench National Assembly
The French National Assembly is the lower house of the bicameral Parliament of France under the Fifth Republic. The upper house is the Senate ....
to represent Pyrénées-Atlantiques
Pyrénées-Atlantiques
Pyrénées-Atlantiques is a department in the southwest of France which takes its name from the Pyrenees mountains and the Atlantic Ocean.- History :...
in 1986 as a member of the Gaullist Rally for the Republic
Rally for the Republic
The Rally for the Republic , was a French right-wing political party. Originating from the Union of Democrats for the Republic , it was founded by Jacques Chirac in 1976 and presented itself as the heir of Gaullism...
(RPR). She has been seating in the Assembly ever since, except when she sat in the government.
She served as Secretary of State (junior minister) for Schools under the Minister of National Education
Minister of National Education (France)
The Ministry of National Education, Youth, and Sport , or simply "Minister of National Education," as the title has changed no small number of times in the course of the Fifth Republic) is the French government cabinet member charged with running France's public educational system and with the...
in 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 second government from 1986 to 1988 and as Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports
Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports (France)
The Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports is, in the Government of France, the cabinet member in charge of national and public sport associations, youth affairs, public sports centers and national stadia...
in Édouard Balladur
Édouard Balladur
Édouard Balladur is a French politician who served as Prime Minister of France from 29 March 1993 to 10 May 1995.-Biography:Balladur was born in İzmir, Turkey, to an Armenian Catholic family with five children and long-standing ties to France...
's gouvernment from 1993 to 1995.
From 1989 to 1994, she was a Member of the European Parliament
Member of the European Parliament
A Member of the European Parliament is a person who has been elected to the European Parliament. The name of MEPs differ in different languages, with terms such as europarliamentarian or eurodeputy being common in Romance language-speaking areas.When the European Parliament was first established,...
.
President of the RPR
In 1999, “MAM” entered the challenge for the presidency of the RPR against Chirac's candidate and, to most insiders' surprise, won by a landslide, becoming the first woman to lead a major French political party. She remained President of the party until 2002 when it merged with the Union for a Popular MovementUnion for a Popular Movement
The Union for a Popular Movement is a centre-right political party in France, and one of the two major contemporary political parties in the country along with the center-left Socialist Party...
(UMP), a merger she opposed at first.
Defense ministership
Alliot-Marie was Minister of Defense during Jacques Chirac’s second presidential term, France's first woman in this position. Between May and June 2002, she was also in charge of Veterans’ Affairs. ForbesForbes
Forbes is an American publishing and media company. Its flagship publication, the Forbes magazine, is published biweekly. Its primary competitors in the national business magazine category are Fortune, which is also published biweekly, and Business Week...
magazine declared her the 57th most powerful woman in the world in 2006 and the 11th in 2007. She kept the Defense portfolio in Jean-Pierre Raffarin
Jean-Pierre Raffarin
Jean-Pierre Raffarin is a French conservative politician and senator for Vienne.Jean-Pierre Raffarin served as the Prime Minister of France from 6 May 2002 to 31 May 2005, resigning after France's rejection of the referendum on the European Union draft constitution. However, after Raffarin...
’s three governments and in Dominique de Villepin
Dominique de Villepin
Dominique Marie François René Galouzeau de Villepin is a French politician who served as the Prime Minister of France from 31 May 2005 to 17 May 2007....
’s governement.
She remained a leading Gaullist after the RPR merger into the UMP, and created her own movement within the party, Le Chêne (The Oak). Although she publicly considered competing with Nicolas Sarkozy
Nicolas Sarkozy
Nicolas Sarkozy is the 23rd and current President of the French Republic and ex officio Co-Prince of Andorra. He assumed the office on 16 May 2007 after defeating the Socialist Party candidate Ségolène Royal 10 days earlier....
for the UMP nomination in the 2007 presidential election
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...
, she ruled herself out of the running in January 2007 and endorsed Sarkozy. Sarkozy and Alliot-Marie had a history of disagreements in the party’s National Council.
Interior and Justice ministerships
After Sarkozy’s election as President, Alliot-Marie was appointed Minister of the Interior, the Overseas and Local CommunitiesMinister of the Interior (France)
The Minister of the Interior in France is one of the most important governmental cabinet positions, responsible for the following:* The general interior security of the country, with respect to criminal acts or natural catastrophes...
in François Fillon
François Fillon
François Charles Armand Fillon is the Prime Minister of France. He was appointed to that office by President Nicolas Sarkozy on 17 May 2007. He served initially until 13 November 2010 when he resigned from being prime minister before a planned cabinet reshuffle.On 14 November 2010, Sarkozy...
's government, being the first woman to hold the position.
Two years later, after the 2009 European Parliament election
European Parliament election, 2009 (France)
European elections to elect 72 French Members of the European Parliament were held on Sunday 7 June 2009.Due to the entry of Romania and Bulgaria in the European Union in 2007, the number of seats allocated to France was revised from 78 seats to 72 seats, a loss of 6 seats...
, she appointed Minister of Justice and Liberties and Keeper of the Seals
Minister of Justice (France)
The Ministry of Justice is controlled by the French Minister of Justice , a top-level cabinet position in the French government. The current Minister of Justice is Michel Mercier...
and was bestowed the title of Minister of State, which gave her the most senior rank in the government after the Prime Minister. She was made a Vice President of the UMP the same year.
Foreign Affairs ministership
In November 2010, Alliot-Marie was appointed Minister of Foreign and European Affairs, remaining Minister of State and being again the first holder of the office.When civil unrest began in Tunisia in early 2010
Tunisian revolution
The Tunisian Revolution is an intensive campaign of civil resistance, including a series of street demonstrations taking place in Tunisia. The events began in December 2010 and led to the ousting of longtime President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali in January 2011...
, Alliot-Marie came under scrutiny for going on vacation there during the events, as she had frequently done in the past. She further caused controversy when she told the National Assembly that French riot police could be offered to help restore order.; she was specifically criticised for allegedly sending teargas to Tunisia as late as January 2011.
Her situation embarrassing the government, she resigned as Foreign Minister on 27 February 2011 after only a few months in office. She was succeeded by outgoing Defense Minister and former Prime Minister Alain Juppé
Alain Juppé
Alain Marie Juppé is a French politician currently serving as the Minister of Foreign Affairs. He also served as Prime Minister of France from 1995 to 1997 under President Jacques Chirac and the Minister of Defence and Veterans Affairs from 2010 to 2011...
.
Political career
Ministerial offices- Secretary of State for Education: 1986–1988.
- Minister of Youth and Sports: 1993–1995.
- Minister of Defense: 2002–2007.
- Minister of the Interior, Overseas Territories and Territorial Communities : 2007–2009.
- Keeper of the Seals, Minister of State, Minister of Justice and Freedoms: 2009–2010.
- Minister of State, Minister of Foreign and European Affairs: 2010–2011 (resignation).
Electoral mandates
National Assembly
- Member of the National Assembly for Pyrénées-AtlantiquesPyrénées-AtlantiquesPyrénées-Atlantiques is a department in the southwest of France which takes its name from the Pyrenees mountains and the Atlantic Ocean.- History :...
(6th constituency): elected in march 1986 (became minister in march 1986) / 1988–1993 (became minister in 1993) / 1995–2002 (became minister in 2002) / reelected in 2007 but she remained minister / And since 2011. Elected in 1986, reelected in 1988, 1993, 1995, 1997, 2002, 2007.
General Council
- Vice President of the General Council of Pyrénées-AtlantiquesPyrénées-AtlantiquesPyrénées-Atlantiques is a department in the southwest of France which takes its name from the Pyrenees mountains and the Atlantic Ocean.- History :...
: 1994–2001. - General Councillor of Pyrénées-AtlantiquesPyrénées-AtlantiquesPyrénées-Atlantiques is a department in the southwest of France which takes its name from the Pyrenees mountains and the Atlantic Ocean.- History :...
: 1994–2001.
Municipal Council
- Mayor of Saint-Jean-de-LuzSaint-Jean-de-LuzSaint-Jean-de-Luz is a commune in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department in south-western France.Saint-Jean-de-Luz is part of the province Basque of Labourd and the Basque Eurocity Bayonne - San Sebastian .-Geography:...
: since 1995, reelected in 2001 and 2008. - Municipal Councillor of Saint-Jean-de-Luz: since 1995, reelected in 2001 and 2008.
- Municipal Councillor of BiarritzBiarritzBiarritz is a city which lies on the Bay of Biscay, on the Atlantic coast, in south-western France. It is a luxurious seaside town and is popular with tourists and surfers....
: 1989–1991. - Municipal Councillor of CiboureCiboureCiboure is a commune in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department in south-western France.It lies across the river Nivelle from the harbour of Saint-Jean-de-Luz....
: 1983–1988.
Party political offices
- President of the Rally for the RepublicRally for the RepublicThe Rally for the Republic , was a French right-wing political party. Originating from the Union of Democrats for the Republic , it was founded by Jacques Chirac in 1976 and presented itself as the heir of Gaullism...
: 1999–2002 (party dissolved). Elected in 1999. - Vice President of the Union for a Popular MovementUnion for a Popular MovementThe Union for a Popular Movement is a centre-right political party in France, and one of the two major contemporary political parties in the country along with the center-left Socialist Party...
: since 2009.
Personal life
Michèle Marie married anthropologist Michel Alliot in 1971, taking the name Michèle Alliot-Marie. They divorced in 1984.In the French media, she is nicknamed "MAM".
Since 1988, her life partner has been Patrick Ollier
Patrick Ollier
Patrick Ollier is a French MP for the UMP party and the Mayor of Rueil-Malmaison. He was briefly the President of the National Assembly in 2007. He is the partner of Michèle Alliot-Marie, Minister of Foreign and European Affairs in the government of François Fillon.He was elected on 16 June 2002,...
, who briefly served as President of the National Assembly in 2007 and subsequently chaired the Assembly’s Economy Committee. In November 2010, he was appointed Minister in charge of Relations with Parliament in the Fillon II government. Both were ministers simultaneously for a few months in 2010-2011, the first time a couple ever sat in a French government. Due to her higher public profile, he has been nicknamed “Patrick Ollier-Marie” or “POM”.
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