Élisabeth Guigou

Élisabeth Guigou
Minister of Social Affairs
In office 18 October 2000 – 6 May 2002
Prime Minister	Lionel Jospin
Preceded by	Martine Aubry
Succeeded by	François Fillon
Minister of Justice
In office 4 June 1997 – 18 October 2000
Prime Minister	Lionel Jospin
Preceded by	Jacques Toubon
Succeeded by	Marylise Lebranchu
Minister for European Affairs
In office 3 October 1990 – 29 March 1993
Prime Minister	Michel Rocard Édith Cresson Pierre Bérégovoy
Preceded by	Édith Cresson
Succeeded by	Alain Lamassoure
Member of the National Assembly for Seine-Saint-Denis' 9th Constituency
Incumbent
Assumed office 19 June 2002
Preceded by	Véronique Neiertz
Personal details
Born	Élisabeth Vallier (1946-08-06) 6 August 1946 Marrakesh, Morocco
Political party	Socialist Party
Spouse	Jean-Louis Guigou
Alma mater	Institute of Political Studies, Aix National School of Administration, Strasbourg

Élisabeth Guigou (French pronunciation: [elizabɛt ɡiˈɡu]; born Élisabeth Vallier; 6 August 1946) is a French socialist politician.

Life and career

Guigou was born in Marrakesh, Morocco. After attending Sciences Po Aix and ENA, France's elite graduate school of public affairs, she worked in Jacques Delors' staff in 1982 before being hired by Hubert Védrine in François Mitterrand's government. She was appointed Secretary-General of the Interminsterial Committee on European Economical Matters in 1986 during the period of cohabitation.

She first got a taste of front-line politics when she was appointed Minister of European Affairs (1990–1993), during the campaign on the Maastricht Treaty, before she was elected to the European Parliament in 1994. During 1994–1995 she was member of the Tindemans group. Together with Elmar Brok, she represented the European Parliament in the negotiations that produced the Amsterdam Treaty.

In 1997, she was elected to the National Assembly in the Vaucluse département and entered incoming Prime Minister Lionel Jospin's cabinet, as Minister of Justice (1997–2000) and then as Minister of Employment (2000–2002).

She failed to be elected Mayor of Avignon and, facing possible defeat in her district, was nominated as a candidate for the National Assembly in 2002 in the heavily left-wing département of Seine-Saint-Denis. She was re-elected in 2007.

She represented France for the funeral of Margaret Thatcher.

Legislation

Guigou co-sponsored several bills which became law. She co-sponsored a 2000 law, which articulated French policy on presumption of innocence in media by prohibiting magazines and newspapers from publishing photographs of accused individuals wearing handcuffs or other scenes which may "jeopardise a victim's dignity". This law, which was unanimously supported by the Senate, was openly opposed by leading publications such as Paris Match, which ignores the law.

She also co-sponsored a 1998 law which abrogated the requirement of "manifestation of will" for children born in France of foreign parents to gain citizenship.

Activism

She is a founding chairwoman and co-president with Jean-Noël Jeanneney of Europartenaires, a group linking business interests with the European Union. She also founded a lobby group called Femmes d'Europe (Women of Europe) and sits on the board of directors of Jacques Delors's foundation Notre Europe (Our Europe). She campaigned for the Yes side in the referendum on the 2005 Treaty establishing a Constitution for Europe.

Guigou was a supporter of Martine Aubry's presidential bid.

Personal life

She is the spouse of Jean-Louis Guigou, a professor of economics, former technical adviser to Michel Rocard and civil servant. They have one child.

Political career

Governmental function

Minister of European Affairs : 1990–1993.

Keeper of the seals, Minister of Justice : 1997–2000.

Minister of Employment and Solidarity : 2000–2002.

Electoral mandates

European Parliament

Member of the European Parliament : 1994–1997 (Became minister in 1997, and elected in parliamentary elections).

French Parliament

Member of the National Assembly of France for Vaucluse : June 1997- July 1997 (Appointed Minister of Justice in July 1997).

Member of the National Assembly of France for Seine-Saint-Denis : Elected in 2002, reelected in 2007 and 2012.

Regional Council

Regional councillor of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur : Elected in 1992, reelected in 1998, resigned in 2001.

Municipal Council

Deputy-mayor of Noisy-le-Sec : 2008-2010.

Studies

• Bachelor of English Language Paul Valéry University, Montpellier III
• Master of American Literature Paul Valéry University, Montpellier III
• Master of Political Science, Institut d'études politiques d'Aix-en-Provence.
• 2 years university degree in Economy (DEUG), Aix-Marseille University
• Alumna of the École nationale d'administration (ENA), Promotion Simone Weil (1974).