Editing Jean-Pierre Raffarin

{{Short description|94th Prime Minister of France}}
{{Lead too short|date=May 2025}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2014}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name                = Jean-Pierre Raffarin
| image               = Jean-Pierre Raffarin par Claude Truong-Ngoc 2013 (cropped 2).jpg
| office              = [[Prime Minister of France]]
| term_start          = 6 May 2002
| term_end            = 31 May 2005
| president           = [[Jacques Chirac]]
| predecessor         = [[Lionel Jospin]]
| successor           = [[Dominique de Villepin]]
| office2             = Member of the [[Senate (France)|Senate]]
| term_start2         = 18 September 2005
| term_end2           = 4 October 2017
| constituency2       = [[Vienne (department)|Vienne]]
| term_start3         = 1 October 2004
| term_end3           = 1 November 2004
| constituency3       = Vienne
| term_start4         = 21 September 1997
| term_end4           = 6 June 2002
| constituency4       = Vienne
| term_start5         = 2 October 1995
| term_end5           = 31 October 1995
| constituency5       = Vienne
| office6             = [[Minister of Commerce (France)|Minister of Small and Medium Enterprises, Commerce and Crafts]]
| term_start6         = 18 May 1995
| term_end6           = 4 June 1997
| primeminister6      = [[Alain Juppé]]
| predecessor6        = [[Alain Madelin]]
| successor6          = [[Marylise Lebranchu]]
| office7             = [[Member of the European Parliament]]
| term_start7         = 25 July 1989
| term_end7           = 18 May 1995
| constituency7       = [[France (European Parliament constituency)|France]]
| office8             = [[President of the Regional Council (France)|President of the Regional Council]] of [[Poitou-Charentes]]
| term_start8         = 19 December 1988
| term_end8           = 8 May 2002
| predecessor8        = Louis Fruchard
| successor8          = [[Élisabeth Morin]]
| birth_date          = {{birth date and age|df=yes|1948|08|03}}
| birth_place         = [[Poitiers]], [[French Fourth Republic|France]]
| spouse              = {{marriage|Anne-Marie Perrier|29 June 1980}}
| children            = 2
| party               = [[The Republicans (France)|The Republicans]] (2015–present)
| otherparty          = [[Liberal Democracy (France)|Liberal Democracy]] (before 2002)<br /> [[Union for a Popular Movement|UMP]] (2002–2015)
| alma_mater          = [[Paris 2 Panthéon-Assas University|Panthéon-Assas University]]<br />[[ESCP Business School]]
| caption             = Raffarin in 2013
}}

'''Jean-Pierre Raffarin''' ({{IPA|fr|ʒɑ̃pjɛʁ ʀafaʁɛ̃|lang|Fr-Jean-Pierre_Raffarin.ogg}}; born 3 August 1948) is a French politician who served as [[Prime Minister of France]] from 6 May 2002 to 31 May 2005 under President [[Jacques Chirac]].

He resigned after France's rejection of the [[French referendum on the European Constitution|referendum]] on the [[Treaty establishing a Constitution for Europe|European Union draft constitution]]. However, after Raffarin resigned, he said that his decision was not based on the outcome of the vote. Opinion polls following his resignation suggested that Raffarin was one of France's least popular prime ministers since the [[French Fifth Republic|Fifth Republic]] was established in 1958. However, according to the book ''France: 1815–2003'', written by Martin Evans and Emmanuel Godin, Raffarin was "a remarkably popular Prime Minister" despite his ability "to state the obvious and to make empty statements".

He was also [[List of presidents of the Senate of France|Vice President of the Senate]] from 2011 to 2014.

==Early life==
Born 3 August 1948, Raffarin grew up in [[Poitiers]], the son of a prominent national figure: his father [[Jean Raffarin]] was vice-minister of Agriculture in the government of [[Pierre Mendès France]] (1954–1955).<ref>{{cite news |title=Man in the News; A Leader to Lean On; Jean-Pierre Raffarin |first=John |last=Tagliabue |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2002/05/07/world/man-in-the-news-a-leader-to-lean-on-jean-pierre-raffarin.html |newspaper=New York Times |date=7 May 2002 |access-date=8 November 2010 }}</ref> He studied law at [[Panthéon-Assas University|Université Paris-Panthéon-Assas]]<ref>{{cite book|last=Ripaux|first=Alain|title=Images et souvenirs du Poitou-Charentes|year=2004|publisher=Visualia|language=fr}}</ref> and later graduated from the [[ESCP Business School|École Supérieure de Commerce de Paris]]. He started his professional career in marketing.

In the 1970s, his first political commitment was in the association of [[Valéry Giscard d'Estaing]]'s young supporters. Defining himself as a "''giscardien''", he joined the staff of [[Lionel Stoléru]], Secretary of state for Manual Workers and Immigration, and the [[Republican Party (France)|Republican Party]], the liberal-conservative component of the centre-right confederation the [[Union for French Democracy]] (UDF).

==Political career==

In the 1980s, he started a career in local politics in [[Poitou-Charentes]] region. With the support of [[René Monory]], the local political leader, he took the chair of the regional council in 1988.
Seven years later, he was elected senator of [[Vienne (department)|Vienne]] ''département''.

'''Governmental functions'''

*Prime Minister : 2002–2005.
*Minister of Small and Medium Enterprises, Commerce and Craft : 1995–1997.

'''Electoral mandates'''

'''''European Parliament'''''

*Member of [[European Parliament]] : 1989–1995 (Became minister in 1995). Reelected in 1994.

'''''Senate of France'''''

*Senator of [[Vienne (department)|Vienne]] : Elected in 1995, but he stays minister / 1997–2002 (became prime pinister in 2002) / Re-elected in 2004, but he stays prime Minister / Since 2005. Elected in 1995, re-elected in 1997, 2004, 2005, 2008.

'''''Regional Council'''''

*President of the Regional Council of [[Poitou-Charentes]] : 1988–2002 (Resignation). Re-elected in 1992, 1998.
*Vice-President of the Regional Council of [[Poitou-Charentes]] : 2002–2004.
*Regional councillor of [[Poitou-Charentes]] : 1986–2004. Reelected in 1992, 1998.

'''''Municipal Council'''''

*Deputy-mayor of [[Chasseneuil-du-Poitou]] : 1995–2001.
*Municipal councillor of [[Chasseneuil-du-Poitou]] : 1995–2001.
*Municipal councillor of [[Poitiers]] : 1977–1995. Re-elected in 1983, 1989.

'''Political functions'''
*Vice-President of the [[Union for a Popular Movement]] : Since 2007.

===In Government===
During the [[1995 French presidential election|1995 presidential campaign]], while most UDF politicians supported [[Édouard Balladur]], he chose the winning candidacy of [[Jacques Chirac]]. In return, he was nominated Minister of Small and Medium-sized Companies, Commerce and Craft Industry in [[Alain Juppé]]'s cabinet (1995–1997).

At the same time, the pro-Chirac UDF members founded the [[Popular Party for French Democracy]]. Then, he returned in the Republican Party, became [[Liberal Democracy (France)|Liberal Democracy]] (DL) in 1997. He was vice-president of DL until 2002.

===Prime minister===
[[File:Flickr - europeanpeoplesparty - EPP Summit 4 December 2003 Paris (5).jpg|thumb|Prime Minister Raffarin and [[Mikuláš Dzurinda]] in Paris, December 2003]]
[[File:Flickr - europeanpeoplesparty - EPP Summit Meise 16-17 June 2004 (9).jpg|thumb|Raffarin with Italian prime minister [[Silvio Berlusconi]], June 2004]]
During the [[2002 French presidential election|2002 presidential campaign]], he advocated the union of the right behind the incumbent President Chirac. After his re-election, Chirac wished to give a sign of political renewal. Furthermore, elected in a special second round by a majority of left-wing voters, he searched for a moderate to lead the cabinet and the [[2002 French legislative election|June 2002 legislative campaign]]. Raffarin participated in the formation of the [[Union for a Popular Movement]] (UMP). He criticized the [[Iraq War|American-led intervention in Iraq.]]<ref>{{cite web |title=French PM:Iraq crisis not a game |url=http://www.cnn.com/2003/WORLD/europe/02/07/sprj.irq.france/index.html |website=www.cnn.com |access-date=February 7, 2003}}</ref>

His political policies combined [[authority]] and moderate economical liberalism – that is, the support of [[laissez-faire]] economic policies. In 2003 he launched reforms of the public retirement scheme and of [[decentralisation]], which led to many strikes. During the summer of 2003 the country experienced an unusual [[European Heat Wave of 2003|heat wave]] which caused the death of nearly 15,000 people. The perceived late reaction of the government was blamed on his administration. In 2004 he began a reform of the French state-run health-care system.

Raffarin's governments were known for their internal quarrels with various ministers taking opposite positions in public. The alleged lack of authority of the Prime Minister was mocked by the media.

On 28 March 2004 the ruling [[Union for a Popular Movement|UMP]] party suffered an important defeat during the [[2004 French regional elections|regional elections]], with all but one ''[[List of regions in France|région]]'' out of 22 of mainland France going to the opposition ([[French Socialist Party|PS]], [[French Communist Party|PCF]], [[Europe Écologie–The Greens|Les Verts]]). This was generally interpreted, including by Raffarin himself in his post-election speech, as "a sign of distrust against the government from the electorate". On 30 March 2004 Jean-Pierre Raffarin tendered the resignation of his government to president Jacques Chirac, who immediately re-appointed him prime minister, with the delegation to form a new government. This major cabinet reshuffle removed some of its most controversial ministers like [[Luc Ferry]] (education) or [[Jean-François Mattei]] (health).

===Resignation===
Raffarin's resignation was accepted by President Chirac on 30 May 2005, after the "no" victory at the [[European Constitution]] referendum, and he was replaced as prime minister by [[Dominique de Villepin]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4595423.stm |title=De Villepin appointed French PM  |date=31 May 2005 |publisher=BBC News   |access-date=8 November 2010 }}</ref>

On 18 September 2005, he was elected Senator in the Vienne ''département''. Speculation were that he could eventually try to become [[List of Presidents of the French Senate|President of the Senate]] or President of the [[Union for a Popular Movement]] if Nicolas Sarkozy won the [[2007 French presidential election|2007 presidential election]]. He became one of the Vice presidents of the UMP in 2007. In September 2008, he sought the Senate UMP fraction's investiture to become President of the Senate, but was defeated by [[Gérard Larcher]].

Raffarin is Grand Officer of the [[Legion of Honour]] and Grand Cross of [[Ordre national du Mérite (France)|National Order of Merit]].

===International policies===
During a state visit to China on 21 April 2005 he avoided opposing the new [[Anti-Secession Law of the People's Republic of China|"anti-secession" law on Taiwan]], stating that "The anti-secession law is completely compatible with the position of France" and "The position of France has always been to 'one China' and we will remain attached to this position". On the embargo on weapons, he stated that "France continues to ask for a lifting of the embargo, and does not see what could lead the European Council to change position on that question".<ref>[http://sg.news.yahoo.com/050423/1/3s3pn.html]{{dead link|date=November 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref><ref> [http://www.phayul.com/news/article.aspx?id=9677&t=1&c=1] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060220042133/http://www.phayul.com/news/article.aspx?id=9677&t=1&c=1 |date=20 February 2006 }}</ref> By convention, foreign affairs are one of the President's—and not the Prime Minister's—sole responsibilities.

==Governments==

===First ministry (May–June 2002)===
*[[:fr:Jean-Pierre Raffarin|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
*[[Tokia Saïfi]] – Minister Delegate of Sustainable Development
*[[Jean-François Lamour]] – Minister of Sport
*[[Brigitte Girardin]] – Minister of Overseas
*[[Gilles 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
*[[Renaud Donnedieu de Vabres]] – Minister of European affairs

===Second ministry (2002–2004)===

*Jean-Pierre Raffarin – Prime Minister
*[[Dominique de Villepin]] – Minister of Foreign Affairs
*[[Michèle Alliot-Marie]] – Minister of Defense
*[[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
* [[Tokia Saïfi]] – Minister Delegate of Sustainable Development
*[[Jean-François Lamour]] – Minister of Sport
*[[Brigitte Girardin]] – Minister of Overseas
*[[Gilles 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
*[[Noëlle Lenoir]] – Minister of European affairs

===Third ministry (2004–2005)===

*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
*[[Gilles 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

===Minor changes===
29 November 2004 – following a Nicolas Sarkozy's resignation to become president of the [[Union for a Popular Movement|UMP]]
scandal forcing [[Hervé Gaymard]] resignation.
*Hervé Gaymard – Minister of Economy, Finance, and Industry (replaced Nicolas Sarkozy)
*[[Dominique Bussereau]]  – Minister of Agriculture, Food, Fish, and Rural Affairs (replaced [[Hervé Gaymard]])

25 February 2005 – following a scandal forcing Gaymard's resignation
*[[Thierry Breton]] – Minister of Economy, Finance, and Industry

==Raffarinades==
Jean-Pierre Raffarin was often teased for his optimistic [[aphorism]]s, known colloquially and ironically as ''raffarinades'', the best known being ''La route est droite, mais la pente est forte'' ("The road is straight, but the slope is steep"). Some consider that the word ''raffarinade'' was created in reference to the other French word ''mazarinade''. However, ''mazarinade'' refers to the songs that the ''frondeurs'' (French revolutionaries during the ''Régence'' of Queen Anne – Archduchess of Austria – and chief minister [[Cardinal de Mazarin]], before king Louis XIV's personal reign) sang to mock the unpopular chief minister.

Raffarin also tried his English prior to the referendum on the European draft Constitution but this turned out to be an ill-advised idea, as shown in this famous excerpt<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-4118142947508150872&q=raffarin&pl=true&#93; |title=Archived copy |access-date=24 April 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111107051149/http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-4118142947508150872 |archive-date=7 November 2011 |url-status=dead |df=dmy-all }}</ref> from his speech: "Win the yes needs the no to win against the no." The referendum itself was eventually nicknamed ''le Raffarindum'' by its opponents while ''[[Journée de solidarité envers les personnes âgées]]'' (''Day of solidarity with the elderly'') is sometimes referred to as ''la Saint-Raffarin'' by discontented workers (following a decision by Raffarin, French workers are supposed to work on [[Whit Monday]] for free, but public transportation still uses its "Sundays and holidays" timetable).

==Honours==

{| class="wikitable" style="width:100%;"
|-
! style="width:80px;"| Ribbon bar !! Honour !! Country !! Date 
|-
| [[File:Legion Honneur GO ribbon.svg|80px]] || Grand Officer of the [[Legion of Honour]] ||  [[France]] || 2008 
|-
| [[Image:Ordre national du Merite GC ribbon.svg|80px]] || Grand Cross of the [[Ordre National du Mérite|National Order of Merit]] || [[France]] || 2002   
|-
| [[File:National Order Quebec ribbon bar.svg|80px]] || Knight of the [[National Order of Quebec]] || [[Canada]] || 2003   
|-
| [[File:Order of the Star of Romania - Ribbon bar.svg|80px]] ||  Grand Cross of the [[Order of the Star of Romania]] || [[Romania]] || 2004 
|-
|  || [[Order of Friendship (China)|Order of Friendship]] || [[China]] || 2019 
|}

==See also==
* [[List of prime ministers of France]]
* [[Politics of France]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20050608005408/http://www.premier-ministre.gouv.fr/acteurs/premier_ministre/histoire_chefs_gouvernement_28/jean_pierre_raffarin_295/ Official biography (in French)]
* [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/1970512.stm BBC Profile (in English)]

{{S-start}}
{{S-off}}
{{Succession box|title=[[Minister of Commerce (France)|Minister of Commerce]]|before=[[Alain Madelin]]|after=[[Marylise Lebranchu]]|years=1995–1997}}
{{Succession box|title=[[Prime Minister of France]]|before=[[Lionel Jospin]]|after=[[Dominique de Villepin]]|years=2002–2005}}
{{s-prec|france}}
{{s-bef|before=[[Lionel Jospin]]|as=Former Prime Minister}}
{{s-ttl|title=[[French order of precedence|Order of precedence of France]]<br />''Former Prime Minister''|years=}}
{{s-aft|after=[[Dominique de Villepin]]|as={{nowrap|Former Prime Minister}}}}
{{S-end}}

{{Heads of government of France}}
{{Union for a Popular Movement}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Raffarin, Jean-Pierre}}
[[Category:1948 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:People from Poitiers]]
[[Category:The Republicans (France) politicians]]
[[Category:Republican Party (France) politicians]]
[[Category:Liberal Democracy (France) politicians]]
[[Category:Democratic Convention (France) politicians]]
[[Category:Union for a Popular Movement politicians]]
[[Category:Modern and Humanist France]]
[[Category:Prime ministers of France]]
[[Category:Ministers of commerce and industry of France]]
[[Category:Vice-presidents of the Senate (France)]]
[[Category:MEPs for France 1989–1994]]
[[Category:MEPs for France 1994–1999]]
[[Category:Officers of the National Order of Quebec]]
[[Category:Grand Crosses of the Order of the Star of Romania]]
[[Category:Grand Officers of the Legion of Honour]]
[[Category:Grand Cross of the Ordre national du Mérite]]
[[Category:Paris 2 Panthéon-Assas University alumni]]
[[Category:ESCP Business School alumni]]
[[Category:Senators of Vienne (department)]]