July 21, 2005. Copyright 2005, Graphic News. All rights reserved

Profile of French Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin, patrician poet trying to revitalise French confidence
By Joanna Griffin

LONDON, July 21, Graphic News:  Who better to boost battered French confidence than the tall and aristocratic new prime minister, Dominique de Villepin? But the silver-haired former foreign minister faces a formidable task in restoring a sense of identity to a country facing confusion about its role in the changing world.

De Villepin, a marathon runner and poet, replaces Jean-Pierre Raffarin, who was forced to quit after more than half the population voted against the EU constitution on May 29. In trying to work out how he will redefine the way for President Jacques ChiracÕs regime, a clue may be that the Òdiplomatic pin-upÓ is quintessentially French.

Born in 1953 Rabat, Morocco -- then a French protectorate -- de Villepin is the son of a diplomat, who travelled widely as a child and achieved degrees in law and literature. Following in his fatherÕs footsteps, he served at French embassies in Delhi and Washington, after graduation from the prestigious Ecole Nationale dÕAdministration.

As secretary general of the presidency in 1995, de Villepin secured the long-term patronage of Chirac despite losing him the Elysee Palace by advising early elections in 1997. Five years later, however, the conservatives were back with de Villepin as foreign minister. His very vocal opposition to the war in Iraq not only raised his profile but ensured that he is not first choice to deal first-hand with Washington.

De Villepin also made his mark -- and won public support -- during a year at the interior ministry. Declaring that Islamic militancy Òis a breeding ground for terrorismÓ, he cracked down on illegal immigration, tightened security controls, and made it a legal requirement for imams to take courses in French laws and culture. He beat off a challenge from political veteran Nicolas Sarkozy to become ChiracÕs No 2.

Since then, de Villepin, who is said to rise at dawn to write poetry, has wasted no time in getting to grips with his new role: in a passionate speech to the national assembly, he said ÒGallic geniusÓ would put France back on its feet -- not switching to an Anglo-Saxon social and economic model. The prime minister said his main goal was to cut the 10% percent unemployment rate, and pledged 4.5 billion euros for job creation.

In what was, in many ways, a typically French speech, de Villepin shrugged off the increasing debate about the viability of the countryÕs protectionist social and economic model, saying that the real choice was between Òimmobilism and actionÓ.

Few doubt that the energetic De Villepin will put his efforts into turning around his countryÕs fortunes, but critics point out that the Chirac loyalist has never been elected to public office, and claim that his elite background isolates him from ordinary French. ÒHe talks about people without ever having been in second classÓ, Le Monde reported Sarkozy as saying.

An unkinder jibe came from former prime minister Eduard Balladur, who lost the 1995 presidential race to Chirac. He reportedly described de Villepin as Òlacking political sense. And even common senseÓ.
/ENDS