François Bayrou

François Bayrou ( [ fʀɑ.swa · baj.ʀu ]; born May 25, 1951 in Bordères at Pau, the department of Pyrénées -Atlantiques ) is a leading French politician, President of the christian democratic- liberal UDF, since 2007 démocrate also the new movement Mouvement ( MoDem ). He stood as a candidate in the French presidential election of 2002 (6.84 % ), 2007 ( 18.57% ) and 2012 ( 9.13% ).

Life

The son of a small farmer initially studied Classics at the University of Bordeaux and graduated at the age of 23 years with the Agrégation in classical literature from.

Politically, he was promoted to the bourgeois- liberal Union pour la démocratie française (UDF), where he was first deputy of the department of Pyrénées- Atlantiques. It is characterized by a Christian- democratic attitude and describes himself as a practicing Catholic and supporter of secularism.

From 1979 to 1981 he was a senior civil servant in the Ministry of Agriculture of Pierre Méhaignerie, after which he worked for the Senate President Alain Poher. From 1984 to 1986 he advised the then President of the European Parliament Pierre Pflimlin. Between 1986 and 1993 stood Bayrou of the " Standing Group in the fight against illiteracy " as president before.

After the electoral victory of the right-wing liberals under Édouard Balladur this Bayrou convened on 29 March 1993 as Minister of National Education in his cabinet. During his tenure, Bayrou provided a comprehensive review of the situation of students and teachers in France. He kept his ministerial position in 1995 as the new prime minister Alain Juppé, was the extended Bayrou's department to the field of research.

Bayrou's aspiration was also to create a force in the political center, which should be strong enough to confront the Gaullists on the right side equal. On 4 June 1997 ended his term in office - Claude Allègre became his successor.

Since 1998 he has been Chairman of the UDF party. In 1999, he ran on a UDF list in the elections for the European Parliament. The list reached more than 9 percent of the vote and Bayrou became a deputy in Strasbourg.

In 2002 he went to in the French presidential elections, reaching 6.8 percent of the votes in the first ballot a remarkable fourth place. In the same year it was the separation of the liberal center, as part of the plan is a strong conservative party under Jacques Chirac opened, which was realized in the form of the UMP. Bayrou tried in vain to preserve the independence of the UDF.

In the same year Bayrou gave up his seat as an MEP to be a member of the French National Assembly. In regional elections in Aquitaine in 2004, however, he had to suffer a bitter defeat against the candidate of the UMP; however, the UDF was able to record 12 percent of the vote in the European elections of that year.

During the election campaign for the French 2007 presidential election he was able to develop within a few weeks of hopeless candidates for niche serious contender for the presidency, according to surveys the major polling organizations, according to. He presented himself as an alternative to his Socialist rival Segolene Royal and conservative Nicolas Sarkozy. With a vote share of 18.57 per cent, however, Bayrou was the third best result behind the two.

As part of his candidacy, he has called the EU " the most beautiful design of all mankind ." In general European issues he speaks out against the accession of Turkey to the EU and to the adoption of the proposed European constitution. A reference to God in the text he refuses on the grounds that religion and the law should not be mixed.

After the 2007 presidential election, Bayrou announced the creation of the new party Mouvement démocrate ( MoDem ) and its first president. Although this new movement with 7.61 percent of the vote was the third strongest party in the first round of elections to the National Assembly on June 10, the result remained far behind the Bayrou in the presidential election back: Only about 30 percent of Bayrou voters from 22 April. chose " MoDem ". In the National Assembly because of Bayrou criticized as very unfair electoral system, only he and three other Members of a subject. Of the six candidates who were able to attend the second round of voting on 17 June, that won a seat four, only three remained throughout the legislative members of the MoDem. The Nouveau Centre, the " Majority Présidentielle " had connected, put 22 deputies and could thus form a fraction. This low strength of the MoDem in the National Assembly took Bayrou for the independence of the party in purchasing.

Bayrou ran again in the 2012 presidential election, but reached only half as many votes as in 2007 and finished with 9.13% fifth. In the parliamentary elections on 10 and June 17, 2012 Bayrou lost due to his deliberate decision on arrangements with socialists or conservatives and his own parliamentary seat, since he lost over 2007 votes and only reached the second place in his constituency. His public announcement after the first round of the presidential election, he will choose François Hollande, probably contributed significantly to the loss of his parliamentary mandate, since the Conservatives therefore competed with a candidate against Bayrou. In response to the result Bayrou announced that he would first withdraw somewhat from public life, however, if you continue to engage in a different form than before, politically.

The Mouvement démocrate remain as representatives in the National Assembly, only the former deputy Jean Lasalle and the newly elected Thierry Robert.

Bayrou's great interest in literature and history finds among other things reflected in the publication of books on the history of France, including a biography of the " good king " Henry IV. Additionally, he has published numerous political works, most recently " La France solidaire ".

Bayrou is married and has six children.

Writings

• Le roi libre. - Paris: Flammarion, 1994 - ISBN 2080668218 Le roi libre. - Paris: France Loisirs, 1995 - ISBN 2724289447 Le roi libre. - Paris: Éd. J'ai lu, 1996 - ISBN 2277241830 Henri IV - Paris: Perrin jeunesse, 1998 - ISBN 2262013012 Henri IV: le roi libre. - Paris: Flammarion, 1999 - ISBN 208067725X
• Saint- Louis. - Paris: Flammarion, 1997 - ISBN 2080672088
• Ils l' écharpe portaient blanche: l' aventure of the premiers Réformés, the Guerre de religion à l' édit de Nantes, Revocation de la Révolution à la. - Paris: B. Grasset, 1998 - ISBN 2246559812 Ils l' écharpe portaient blanche: l' aventure of the premiers Réformés, the Guerre de religion à l' édit de Nantes, Revocation de la Révolution à la. - Paris: Librairie générale française, 2000 - ISBN 225314779-6

• La Décennie of times - appris. - Paris: Flammarion, 1990 - ISBN 2080664727
• Le droit au sens. - Paris: Flammarion, 1996 - ISBN 2080672045
• Bayrou, François; Pierre- Brossolette, Sylvie: Hors of sentiers battus: entretiens avec Sylvie Pierre- Brossolette. - Paris: Hachette Littératures, 1999 - ISBN 2012352588
• François Bayrou, Qui êtes -vous? Que proposez -vous? - Paris: Archipelago, 2001 - ISBN 2841872831
• Relève. - Paris: Grasset, 2001 - ISBN 2246618215
• Oui: plea pour la Constitution européenne. - Paris: Plon, 2005 - ISBN 2259201830
• Au nom du Tiers- Etat. Hachette Littératures 2006, ISBN 2012372503
• Projet d' Espoir. Plon 2007, ISBN 2259201628
• Abus de Pouvoir. Paris: Plon, 2009