Jean-Yves Le Drian | |
|---|---|
.jpg) 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 theRegional 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 ofLorient | |
| In office 4 July 1981 – 2 April 1998 | |
| Preceded by | Jean Lagarde |
| Succeeded by | Norbert Métairie |
| Member of theNational Assembly forMorbihan | |
| 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 | Jean-Yves Paul Le Drian (1947-06-30)30 June 1947 (age 78) Lorient, France |
| 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 |
| Signature |  |
Jean-Yves Paul Le Drian (French pronunciation:[ʒɑ̃ivlədʁijɑ̃]; born 30 June 1947) is a French politician who served asMinister of Europe and Foreign Affairs in thegovernments of Prime MinistersÉdouard Philippe andJean Castex (2017–2022)[1] and asMinister of Defence under PresidentFrançois Hollande (2012–2017).[2][3] A former member of theSocialist Party, he had been anIndependent from 2018 before foundingTerritories of Progress in 2020.
Jean-Yves Le Drian was born inLorient to working-class parents, Jean and Louisette, who were active members of theYoung Christian Workers (Jeunesse ouvrière chrétienne, JOC). He completed his studies at theUniversity of Rennes 2, where he was an activist for theUnion Nationale des Étudiants de France (UNEF).[2] First interested by theBreton Democratic Union (UDB) in the early 1970s, he joined theSocialist Party (PS) in May 1974.[4]
In 1977, he assumed the position of Deputy Mayor ofLorient; one year later, at the age of 30, he became a member of theNational Assembly forMorbihan. He served until 1993 and then again from 1997 until 2007.[5] He became Mayor of Lorient in 1981 and retained the office until 1988; he also served asSecretary of State for the Sea under PresidentFrançois Mitterrand from 1991 to 1992.
In the 2004 regional elections, leading theBretagne à gauche, Bretagne pour tous (PS-PCF-PRG-Les Verts-UDB) list, he won 58.66% of the vote in the runoff and a total of 58 seats in theRegional Council of Brittany. He thus becamePresident of the Regional Council ofBrittany. In October 2010 he became President of the Conference of Peripheral Maritime Regions of Europe (CPMR).[6]
Le Drian was nominated to serve asMinister of Defence under PresidentFrançois Hollande on 16 May 2012.[6] He managed the withdrawal of French troops fromAfghanistan and the deployment of French troops in theNorthern Mali conflict andOperation Barkhane. He is also credited with leading a resurgence in French weapons' exports that have resulted in billions of euros in deals, including the first exports of theDassault Rafalefighter jet.[7]
Ahead of the Socialist Party's2017 primaries, Kanner endorsedManuel Valls as the party's candidate for thepresidential election later that year.[8] By 23 March 2017, he eventually endorsedEmmanuel Macron's candidacy for President of the Republic.[9] After Macron won thepresidential election, he appointed Le Drian as Foreign Minister in theFirst Philippe government.
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Le Drian remained in office when theSecond Philippe government was inaugurated; on 8 March 2018, he officially resigned from the Socialist Party.
In August 2019, Le Drian called onHong Kong authorities to renew talks withHong Kong protesters to find a peaceful solution to the then ongoing crisis.[10] On 9 October 2019, Le Drian condemned the unilateralTurkish operation in Northeastern Syria and declared thatTurkey's military incursion "is jeopardising the anti-Islamic State coalition's security and humanitarian efforts and is a risk for the security of Europeans".[11]
In 2020, Le Drian created the new movementTerritories of Progress with fellow ministerOlivier Dussopt.[12]
The announcement of theAUKUS security pact between theUnited States, theUnited Kingdom, andAustralia in September 2021 sparked a period of diplomatic tensions inFrench-American andFrench-Australian relations.[13] The French government received official notification fromAustralia that theAttack-class submarine project, involving a A$90 billion Australian contract to buy 12 French submarines,[14] was to be cancelled only a few hours before it was publicly announced.[15] In a joint statement, Le Drian andFrench armed forces ministerFlorence Parly expressed disappointment at Australia's decision to abandon their joint submarine program with France.[16][17] Le Drian further stated in a radio interview that the contract termination was a "stab in the back".[17] On 17 September, France recalled its ambassadors from Australia and the US.[14] Despite tension in the past, France had never before withdrawn itsambassador to the United States.[18]
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In November 2021, in an interview with the newspaperLe Monde, Le Drian expressed concern about the economic predation weighing on African countries, pointing the finger at China and Russia: "Our competitors have no taboos or limits." According to Le Drian, Europeans must at all costs rebuild their relationship with the African continent.
In 2023, President Macron named Le Drian as his personal envoy forLebanon.[19][20]
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Grand Officier of theOrder of Valour (
Cameroon)
Grand Cordon of theOrder of the Republic[21] (
Egypt)
Officer of theLegion of Honour[22] (
France)
Commander of theOrdre du Mérite Maritime (France)
Medal of theOrder of the Golden Fleece (
Georgia)
Knight Commander of theOrder of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany[23] (
Germany)
Commander of theNational Order of the Ivory Coast (
Ivory Coast)
Grand Cordon of theOrder of the Rising Sun[24] (
Japan)
Grand Officier of theNational Order of Mali (
Mali)
Sash of theOrder of the Aztec Eagle (
Mexico)[25]
Commander's Cross with Star of theOrder of Merit of the Republic of Poland[26] (
Poland)
Grand Officer of theNational Order of the Lion (
Senegal)
Knight Grand Cross of theOrder of Isabella the Catholic[27] (
Spain)
Media related toJean-Yves Le Drian at Wikimedia Commons
| Political offices | ||
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| Preceded by | Minister of Defence 2012–2017 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Minister of Europe and Foreign Affairs 2017–2022 | Succeeded by |
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