Le Drian, F. Hollande's “Defense” gentleman. Portrait of a European

(BRUSSELS2) He has been preparing for this for several months (several years). Jean-Yves Le Drian, the president of the Brittany region, is one of the main Socialist leaders approached to take on the portfolio of Minister of Defense in the new government which will be put in place after the arrival of François Hollande as President of the Republic. The inauguration takes place on May 15. And we can't swear anything yet for the composition of the government...

Le Drian is the "Defense" delegate at the PS. And it is a subject that he follows on a regular basis, even if it is not at the heart of his skills. As an elected representative of Lorient, for many years, he could not ignore it, so much the "military thing" transpires from this city of Morbihan. But above all, and above all, he is a convinced European. And a devotee of François Hollande. Which is a lot of things in his favor today.

However, the Lorient man will not have much time to ensure the transfer of power with Gérard Longuet, the current occupant of rue St Dominique. Since he will have to be in Chicago, at the NATO summit, on May 20 and 21. During the election campaign, he has already made a few appointments, quite discreetly, just to make his mark. He thus went to Washington in the USA, for a first contact with the Department of Defense. " I had as many questions from the American side as I had questions to ask he told B2. Then to London. And very discreetly, at the beginning of April, according to our information, he went to Brussels to meet some interlocutors at NATO and at the European Union. Diplomats "friends" (*) with whom he lurks on the latest files, precisely in view of the next international meetings.

(*) They obviously refuse to confirm...

A Lorient resident

Born in 1947 in Lorient to working-class parents, Jean-Yves Le Drian spent May 1968 in the ranks of the UNEF graduated from the University of Rennes in History in 1971. He joined the PS in May 1974 and took over in his hometown his first public responsibilities after the municipal elections of 1977. He was then deputy in charge of the economy before taking over as head of the city, four years later in 1981; function which he kept for 17 years (until 1998). He was elected to the National Assembly in 1978 at the age of 30, a post he held for 13 years. He "ascended" to the government, from May 1991 to April 1992, as Secretary of State for the Sea in the government of Edith Cresson. He did not recover his deputy seat until 1997, when he was a member of the Defense Committee.

He is a faithful, and a follower, of François Hollande since the beginning. In 1984, he is at his side, when he creates the transcourants. He supports Ségolène Royal's candidacy for the 2007 primaries (against Fabius and Strauss-Kahn). He "briefed" the then candidate on Defense issues. But he will be alongside "his friend" when criticism flares up against him within the Socialist Party. He will thus accompany him, discreetly, during his long march to power.

always with an eye on Defense

It was in his good city of Lorient that Le Drian acquired a certain interest in defense issues. The city is predestined to "military thing". City of the Royal (the French Navy) since 1690 and Louis XIV, it has always kept within it a strong maritime and military component. Nearly 3600 men and women still work there on several sites: at the naval air base of Lann-Bihoué or at the group of marine commandos, as well as at the historical Defense service. Not to mention DCNS, one of the jewels of the French naval industry, which notably built in Lorient the new anti-aircraft frigates of the Horizon class (Forbin, Chevalier Paul), a Franco-Italian program, and now houses its office there. of studies. The people of Lorient will fight to ensure that the industrialist retains in Lorient, then more generally within the Brittany region, his shipbuilding vocation. But, at the same time, it prepares the diversification of the activities of the main ports of the region.

During his last visit to the National Assembly, Le Drian also sat on the Defense Committee. When he left this elected mandate, in 2007, it was a close collaborator, who took care of the press department, Françoise Olivier-Coupeau, who succeeded him. His death in 2011 interrupted his mandate, and it was his deputy, also parliamentary attaché for Le Drian, Gwendal Rouillard, who took up the torch.

... profoundly European

Le Drian is also and above all a European. It is not a surface, it is for him a deep conviction. Even in the greatest moments of doubt. Thus after the French No in the referendum on the Constitution, which upset him, he reiterated this commitment, officially opening the Common Representation of Brittany, Pays-De-Loire and Poitou-Charentes in Brussels. The translation of “our commitment to make Brittany visible and strong in Brussels and our European desire he then explains to me. “In the general disarray that followed May 29, we intend to firmly maintain our European flag”.

A member of the Committee of the Regions for several years, Le Drian regularly went to Brussels not only for committee sessions but also to meet the various European officials, the "Bretons" of the Commission or Parliament. About once a month. Lobbying that pays. Despite its reluctance, the Commission took out its checkbook during the last financial perspectives (2007-2014) to finance the high-speed rail lines in Brittany. A slight departure from his desire to no longer finance major infrastructure works in the so-called "rich" countries.

Networking enthusiast

At the Committee of the Regions, he "sets up" with several of his counterparts a group devoted to the crisis in the automotive industry, demanding from the European Commission "a European plan" to deal with it. His motto: “the presence, the political commitment pays ". Referring to his regular presence in Brussels, he explained " it is worth the trip, it is worth the detour. You have to be there, follow the subjects, have a permanent watch, be there two or three years (see more) before topics emerge. This unlocks folders. He is also a fan of networking. “This makes it possible to identify convergences with other regions”.

Some thoughts on defense

Rebalancing the effort between the Atlantic Alliance and Defense Europe

On Defence, Le Drian seriously criticized Nicolas Sarkozy's decision to return to NATO's integrated command. Without annulling this decision, it thus intends that the “actual consequences of (this) decision (be) seriously assessed”. The re-examination of the White Book will be the occasion An assessment of the consequences of this decision, particularly for our independence and for the development of European defense, in order to take the necessary measures, in accordance with France's security interests ". In particular, he believes that Sarkozy's decision, which had been " presented as a prerequisite for the deepening of the Europe of defence, (…) led on the contrary to weakening it by discouraging our European partners who have always seen in France a driving force in the construction of a Europe of defense. » And to recommend a rebalancing. " It will be a question in particular of rebalancing our action in favor of European defense, which François Hollande wants to relaunch. »

Strengthening the Defense Industry

Le Drian is in favor of strengthening the defense industry, at European level, and in a less oligopolistic way than the path followed so far. He refuses the monopoly of certain manufacturers (namely Dassault) and he is undoubtedly the inspiration for the passages of the speech on Defense delivered by François Hollande in March. He repeated it again recently, criticizing both the policy followed by the previous government - " In industrial matters, the projects in progress have been difficult to preserve and no operation to consolidate European industry has been undertaken” — and advocating a better European commitment : “We will also ensure that cooperation in terms of capabilities is, whenever possible, European: our defense industries must be defended. »

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