Michel Barnier

Michel Barnier
European Commissioner for Internal Market and Services
Incumbent
Assumed office 9 February 2010
President	José Manuel Barroso
Preceded by	Charlie McCreevy
Minister of Foreign Affairs
In office 31 March 2004 – 31 March 2005
Prime Minister	Jean-Pierre Raffarin
Preceded by	Dominique de Villepin
Succeeded by	Philippe Douste-Blazy
European Commissioner for Regional Policy
In office 13 September 1999 – 31 March 2004
President	Romano Prodi
Preceded by	Monika Wulf-Mathies
Succeeded by	Jacques Barrot
Personal details
Born	9 January 1951 (1951-01-09) (age 60) La Tronche, France
Political party	Union for a Popular Movement (2002–present)
Other political affiliations	Rally for the Republic (Before 2002)

Michel Barnier (born 9 January 1951) is a French politician of the Union for a Popular Movement (UMP) and Vice President of the European People's Party (EPP). He is the current European Commissioner for Internal Market and Services. He was named Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries on 18 June 2007 and resigned on 7 June 2009 after being elected to the European Parliament.

Michel Barnier was born in La Tronche in the Isère département of the Rhône-Alpes région, in France. He graduated from ESCP Europe in 1972. Member of the staff of some Gaullist ministers in the 1970s, he was elected to the French National Assembly at 27 as a deputy for the Savoie département in 1978, under the banner of the Neo-Gaullist Rally for the Republic (RPR) and served in this function until 1993.

Together with Jean-Claude Killy he organised the 1992 Winter Olympics in Albertville as co-president of the COJO (Comité d'Organisation des Jeux Olympiques).

Barnier joined the cabinet for the first time after the large victory of the Right in the 1993 legislative election as Minister of the Environment. Two years later, after the election of Jacques Chirac as President of france, he became Secretary of State for European Affairs. He held this function until the defeat of the Presidential Majority in the 1997 legislative election. Barnier served as a European Commissioner for regional policy in the Prodi Commission from 1999 until 31 March 2004 having been made the Foreign Minister of France in the government of Jean-Pierre Raffarin. He served in this function until 5 June 2005 when upon the establishment of the new government under Dominique de Villepin he was replaced by Philippe Douste-Blazy. He considered he was unjustly sanctioned for the victory of the "No" in the French referendum over the European Constitution.

In March 2006, he was elected Vice President of the European People's Party (EPP) for a three-year term. Under Nicolas Sarkozy's presidency, upon the reshuffle of the French cabinet, caused by the resignation of Alain Juppé after the 2007 French legislative election, he re-joined the cabinet as Minister of Agriculture. Considered as one of the main right-wing specialists on European issues, he led the UMP list in Ile-de-France for the 2009 European Parliament election. In February 2010 he was confirmed as European Commissioner for Internal Market and Services.^{[1] [2][3]}

He is Chevalier de la Légion d'honneur (Legion of Honour).

Political career

European Commission

European Commissioner for Internal Market and Services : Since 2010

European Commissioner for Regional Policy : 1999–2004.

French Government

Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries : 2007–2009.

Minister of Foreign Affairs : 2004–2005.

Minister of European Affairs : 1995–1997.

Minister of the Environment : 1993–1995.

Electoral mandates

European Parliament

Member of European Parliament : 2009–2010 (Resignation).

National Assembly of France

Member of the National Assembly of France for Savoie : 1978–1993 (Became minister in 1993). Elected in 1978, reelected in 1981, 1986, 1988, 1993.

Senate of France

Senator of Savoie : Elected in 1995, but he remains minister / 1997–1999 (Resignation, became European commissioner in 1999).

General Council

President of the General Council of Savoie : 1982–1999 (Resignation, became European commissioner in 1999). Reelected in 1985, 1988, 1992, 1994, 1998.

General councillor of Savoie : 1973–1999 (Resignation, became European commissioner in 1999). Reelected in 1979, 1985, 1992, 1998.

References

1. ^ http://euobserver.com/9/29063
2. ^ Philip Aldrick (30 Nov 2009). "Michel Barnier looks to calm City nerves about reform". The Telegraph. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/banksandfinance/6693989/Michel-Barnier-looks-to-calm-City-nerves-about-reform.html. 
3. ^ http://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/expert/infopress_page/008-67167-012-01-03-901-20100112IPR67166-12-01-2010-2010-false/default_en.htm

Weblinks

• Michel Barnier Official Media Gallery
• Personal Website at the European Commission

Political offices
Preceded by Yves-Thibault de Silguy	French European Commissioner 1999–2004 Served alongside: Pascal Lamy	Succeeded by Jacques Barrot
Preceded by Édith Cresson
Preceded by Monika Wulf-Mathies	European Commissioner for Regional Policy 1999–2004
Preceded by Dominique de Villepin	Minister of Foreign Affairs 2004–2005	Succeeded by Philippe Douste-Blazy
Preceded by Jacques Barrot	French European Commissioner 2010–present	Incumbent
Preceded by Charlie McCreevy	European Commissioner for Internal Market and Services 2010–present

Persondata
Name	Barnier, Michel
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	9 January 1951
Place of birth	La Tronche, France
Date of death
Place of death