Gérard Longuet becomes Minister of Defense, somewhat by surprise
It is a native of Neuilly (like President Sarkozy), Gérard Longuet, who will henceforth occupy the post of Minister of Defense in France. Alain Juppé having been appointed to Foreign Affairs. Born in 1946, we can say happy birthday to him since he was born on February 24. A graduate in political science in 1963 and a DESS in 1968, Gérard Longuet finished the ENA in 1973, became sub-prefect but quickly abandoned his administrative career to go into politics, at the UDF (republican party branch) then at the UMP in 2002. At the end of the 1980s he took part in the adventure of the renovators of the UDF with François Léotard, Charles Millon (who would both be Ministers of Defence), Michel Noir and Alain Carignon (read his story).
New to Defense
Today classified in the center, he was originally more at the extreme right than at its center: an activist in the West, he broke red in his youth. He was twice minister: post and telecoms in the Chirac government from 1986 to 1988, a function he resumed from 1993 to 1994 by adding that of Industry and Foreign Trade, a position he had to give up following several business of a financial nature (funding of the republican party and work in his villa). Above all, he was deputy then senator of the Meuse and president of the Regional Council of Lorraine. But one cannot say that he is a specialist in Defense or that he has that in his blood, apart from military service in the artillery.
Short visit to the European Parliament
Gérard Longuet was also a member of the European Parliament for a short time between 1984 and 1986. He first sat on the Committee on Social Affairs and Employment then on the Committee on Energy, Research and Technology. as well as the Delegation for relations with the Gulf States. A member of the Republican Party, he was then affiliated with the Liberal and Reform group. He is taking part in a fact-finding mission on humanitarian aid in Ethiopia.
A European agenda
At the head of French Defence, he will have to implement the Franco-British cooperation treaty and ensure France's full place and influence in NATO's integrated command (which is not won). At the level of the European Union, he will have the task of defending the "Weimar paper", written with Germany and Poland, by his centrist predecessor, Hervé Morin. And in particular the military conduct headquarters and the reform of the battlegroups. He will also have to constantly "shake up" the High Representative of the EU, Cathy Ashton, so that she does not forget European defense concerns in her priorities...
