Born in 1939 in Belfort, this son of a schoolteacher and a teacher is from the same cohort (1963-1965) as two other political heavyweights: Jacques Toubon and Lionel Jospin. He was one of the founders of the Socialist Party, and in 1981, he took up his first position as Minister of Research and Technology, from which he resigned two years later to “protest against a certain liberal interlude.” This was followed by his regular election to the position of Mayor of Belfort and President of the Belfort Urban Community.
He is the author of famous statements such as “A minister, either shuts up or resigns” and “It doesn’t matter where we come from, what matters is where we are going together,” which became his slogan for the 2002 presidential campaign, during which he received 5.33% of the vote. This political miracle survivor, who was the victim of a serious anesthesia accident from which he emerged unscathed, actively supported the no vote to the European Constitution. He is also the founder of the Res Publica Foundation, which was declared a public utility in 2005.
Following his time in the ministries of research, industry, national education, defense, and the interior, Jean-Pierre Chevènement embarked on the presidential race with extensive field experience from his terms as Mayor and Deputy (commissions on cultural, family and social affairs, foreign affairs, and finance).
While waiting for the final strong figures of the Socialist Party and the UMP, a major contender presents himself on the national stage with a not-so-subtle nod from Ségolène Royal, who is herself proudly supported by Jack Lang. The French left seems to be putting in place a strategy that could prove successful with the national PS-PRG agreement and, perhaps, in its wake, a PS-MRC agreement that could give the UMP much to contend with as it closely monitors agreements with no current disagreements among its main rivals.
