Jean-Pierre Raffarin (born August 3, 1948; ) is a French conservative politician. He is the current Prime Minister of France.

He was born in Poitiers. He studied law at the University of Paris II Panthéon-Assas and later graduated from the Ecole Supérieure de Commerce de Paris business school. He has been the Prime Minister since April 2002. He was named by President Jacques Chirac after the latter's re-election as President.

His political policy combines communication, authority and moderate neoliberalism (in the sense of support for free markets and deregulations). In 2003, he launched the reform of the public retirement scheme and that of the decentralization, which led to many strikes. During the summer of 2003, the country experienced an unusual heat wave which caused the death of more than 13,000 people. The perceived late reaction of the government was blamed on his administration.

On March 28, 2004, the ruling UMP party suffered a disaster during the regional elections, with all but one régions of mainland France going to the opposition (PS, PCF, Les Verts). This was generally interpreted, including by Raffarin himself, as a gesture of no-confidence against the government from the electorate. On March 30, Jean-Pierre Raffarin tendered the resignation of his government to president Chirac, who immediately re-appointed him prime minister, with the charge to form a new government. The new cabinet announced on March 31 no longer contains the ministers (such as Luc Ferry or Jean-François Mattei ) who had committed important mistakes during the previous administration.

Jean-Pierre Raffarin is known for his optimistic aphorisms, known colloquially as raffarinades, the best known of which is La pente est rude ,mais la route est droite. ("The slope is hard, but the road is straight").

Raffarin's First Government

7 May 2002 - 31 March 2004 (called Raffarin I until June 17, and became Raffarin II)

• Jean-Pierre Raffarin - Prime Minister
• Dominique de Villepin - Minister of Foreign Affairs, Cooperation, and Francophonie
• Michèle Alliot-Marie - Minister of Defense and Veterans
• Nicolas Sarkozy - Minister of the Interior, Interior Security, and Local Liberties
• Francis Mer - Minister of Economy, Finance, and Industry
• François Fillon - Minister of Labour, Social Affairs, and Solidarity
• Dominique Perben - Minister of Justice
• Luc Ferry - Minister of National Education, Youth, Higher Education, and Research
• Jean-Jacques Aillagon - Minister of Culture and Communication
• Hervé Gaymard - Minister of Agriculture, Food, and Rural Affairs
• Roselyne Bachelot - Minister of Ecology and Sustainable Development
• Jean-François Lamour - Minister of Sport
• Brigitte Girardin - Minister of Overseas
• Giles de Robien - Minister of Transport, Housing, Tourism, Sea, and Equipment
• Jean-François Mattéi - Minister of Health, Family, and Handicapped People
• Jean-Paul Delevoye - Minister of Civil Service, Reform of the State, and Regional Planning

Changes

• 17 June 2002 - Michèle Alliot-Marie ceases to be Minister of Veterans, remaining only Minister of Defense. Dominique de Villepin ceases to be Minister of Cooperation and Francophonie, becoming solely Minister of Foreign Affairs.

Raffarin's Second Government

31 March 2004 - 29 November 2004 (called Raffarin III)

• Jean-Pierre Raffarin - Prime Minister
• Michel Barnier - Minister of Foreign Affairs
• Michèle Alliot-Marie - Minister of Defense
• Dominique de Villepin - Minister of the Interior, Interior Security, and Local Liberties
• Nicolas Sarkozy - Minister of Economy, Finance, and Industry
• Jean-Louis Borloo - Minister of Labour, Employment, and Social Cohesion
• Dominique Perben - Minister of Justice
• François Fillon - Minister of National Education, Higher Education, and Research
  • François d'Aubert - Minister delegate of Research
• Renaud Donnedieu de Vabres - Minister of Culture and Communication
• Hervé Gaymard - Minister of Agriculture, Food, Fish, and Rural Affairs
• Serge Lepeltier - Minister of Ecology and Sustainable Development
• Jean-François Lamour - Minister of Youth, Sport, and Community Life
• Brigitte Girardin - Minister of Overseas
• Giles de Robien - Minister of Transport, Tourism, Regional Planning, Sea, and Equipment
• Philippe Douste-Blazy - Minister of Health and Social Protection
• Marie-Josée Roig - Minister of Family and Childhood
• Renaud Dutreil - Minister of Civil Service and Reform of the State
• Nicole Ameline - Minister of Parity and Professional Equality

Reshuffle

On the 29 November 2004, Nicolas Sarkozy left to be the president of the UMP. Thus there was a reshuffle.

The new cabinet is:

• Jean-Pierre Raffarin - Prime Minister
• Michel Barnier - Minister of Foreign Affairs
• Michèle Alliot-Marie - Minister of Defense
• Dominique de Villepin - Minister of the Interior, Interior Security, and Local Liberties
• Hervé Gaymard - Minister of Economy, Finance, and Industry
• Jean-Louis Borloo - Minister of Labour, Employment, and Social Cohesion
• Dominique Perben - Minister of Justice
• François Fillon - Minister of National Education, Higher Education, and Research
• Renaud Donnedieu de Vabres - Minister of Culture and Communication
• Dominique Bussereau - Minister of Agriculture, Food, Fish, and Rural Affairs
• Serge Lepeltier - Minister of Ecology and Sustainable Development
• Jean-François Lamour - Minister of Youth, Sport, and Community Life
• Brigitte Girardin - Minister of Overseas
• Giles de Robien - Minister of Transport, Tourism, Regional Planning, Sea, and Equipment
• Philippe Douste-Blazy - Minister for Solidarity, Health and the Family
• Renaud Dutreil - Minister of Civil Service and Reform of the State
• Nicole Ameline - Minister of Parity and Professional Equality
• Christian Jacob, Minister for Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises, Trade, Small-Scale Industry, the Professions and Consumer Affairs

Changes

• 25 February 2005 - Thierry Breton replaces Hervé Gaymard as Minister of Economy, Finance, and Industry, following a scandal forcing Gaymard's resignation.

See also

• List of Prime Ministers of France
• Politics of France

External links

• Official biography (in French)
• BBC Profile (in English)

|- style="text-align: center;" | width="30%" |Preceded by:
Lionel Jospin | width="40%" style="text-align: center;" |Prime Minister of France
2002–present | width="30%" |Succeeded by:
—