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Benoît Hamon

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Benoît Hamon
Possible President-elect of France
Assuming office
TBD
SucceedingFrançois Hollande
Minister of National Education
In office
2 April 2014 – 25 August 2014
Prime MinisterManuel Valls
Preceded byVincent Peillon
Succeeded byNajat Vallaud-Belkacem
Minister for the Social Economy
In office
16 May 2012 – 31 March 2014
Prime MinisterJean-Marc Ayrault
Member of the European Parliament
In office
13 June 2004 – 7 June 2009
Personal details
Born (1967-06-26) 26 June 1967 (age 57)
Saint-Renan, Finistère
Political partySocialist Party
Alma materUniversity of Western Brittany[1]
WebsiteOfficial website

Benoît Hamon (French: [bə.nwa a.mɔ̃]; born 26 June 1967) is a French politician and a member of the Socialist Party (PS) and Party of European Socialists (PES). He became the PS candidate for the 2017 French presidential election after defeating Manuel Valls in the second round of the party primary on 29 January 2017.

Hamon was Member of the European Parliament (MEP) for the East of France from 2004 to 2009. He was also the leader of the left-wing of the PS during the 2008 Reims Congress and its candidate for the First Secretaryship. In May 2012, he was appointed as Junior Minister for the Social Economy at the Ministry of the Economy, Finance, and External Trade by President François Hollande, serving in that post for two years. He was Minister of National Education from April 2014 until August 2014, resigning as a result of what he considered President Hollande's abandonment of a socialist agenda.

Political career

Hamon was Member of the European Parliament (MEP) for the East of France from 2004 to 2009, attached to the PES Group.[2]

After the candidacy for the First Secretary of the PS became a contest between Ségolène Royal and Martine Aubry, Hamon urged his supporters to vote for Aubry, who secured a narrow, contested majority.[3]

On 16 May 2012, Hamon was appointed as Junior Minister for the Social Economy at the French Ministry of the Economy, Finance, and External Trade by President François Hollande. Hamon was Minister of National Education from 2 April 2014 until 25 August 2014, resigning as a result of President Hollande's abandonment of a socialist agenda.[4] He was national secretary for Europe and spokesperson for the Socialist Party.[citation needed]

2017 Socialist Presidential candidate

Hamon announced his intention to seek the French presidency in August 2016. Critical of the social-liberal politics conducted by Hollande and Prime Minister Manuel Valls, Hamon represented the left-wing and green side of the Socialist Party during this primary.[5] Hamon is considered an admirer of United States Senator Bernie Sanders.[6]

He wants to rethink society and its relation to work by giving a basic income to all French citizens, believing that the availability of work will decrease due to automation. He supports a 35 hour workweek, and less if a worker chooses in exchange for state compensation, and supports the legalisation of cannabis and euthanasia. He also argues for huge investments in renewable energy, aiming for renewable sources to provide 50% of French energy by 2025, and wants to protect the "common goods" (water, air, biodiversity) in the Constitution.[7][8] Hamon is also very critical of the neoliberal "myth of infinite economic growth", which he blames for "destroying the planet" and argues is a "quasi-religion" among politicians.[9] "There is an urgency to change now our way to produce and consume. [...] We can negotiate with bankers, but we can't negotiate with the planet."[10]

While Hamon's project is seen as credible and coherent about the future evolution of society by some commentators,[10] it is seen by others as utopian.[11]

Polling in January 2017 showed that his support had tripled and put him into serious contention for the nomination.[6][12][13]

On 22 January 2017, Hamon came top in the first round of the primary, ahead of Valls.[14] Hamon secured the support of Arnaud Montebourg, who placed third, soon thereafter.[14] In the runoff on 29 January, he won the Socialist Party nomination.[15]

References

  1. ^ Revol, Michel (9 August 2007). "Le frondeur du PS". Le Point (in French). Paris. ISSN 0242-6005. Archived from the original on 7 October 2014. Avec le PS, c'est autre chose. D'abord, la rencontre est fortuite. En 1986, la loi Devaquet sur l'université enflamme les amphis. Etudiant en sciences éco puis en histoire à Brest, Benoît Hamon fait partie des frondeurs. {{citation}}: Unknown parameter |dead-url= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  2. ^ "Benoît HAMON". European Parliament. Retrieved 30 January 2017.
  3. ^ Davies, Lizzy (22 November 2008). "French Socialists in disarray after bitter leadership battle". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 4 September 2013. Retrieved 16 June 2013. {{citation}}: Unknown parameter |dead-url= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  4. ^ "Rebel French Socialist lawmaker Hamon joins party primary race". 16 August 2016. Retrieved 23 January 2017 – via Reuters.
  5. ^ "Pour un progrès social et écologique". 14 December 2016. Retrieved 23 January 2017.
  6. ^ a b "Outsider Hamon has momentum ahead of left-wing primary vote - France 24". 18 January 2017. Retrieved 23 January 2017.
  7. ^ "Pour un progrès social et écologique". 14 December 2016. Retrieved 23 January 2017.
  8. ^ "Benoît Hamon veut légaliser le cannabis " vraie gangrène des quartiers "". Retrieved 23 January 2017.
  9. ^ magazine, Le Point, (9 December 2016). "Benoît Hamon : "La croissance est devenue une quasi-religion"". Retrieved 23 January 2017.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: extra punctuation (link) CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  10. ^ a b http://www.huffingtonpost.fr/2017/01/23/benoit-hamon-le-candidat-du-futur/?utm_hp_ref=fr-homepage
  11. ^ http://www.lexpress.fr/actualite/politique/elections/le-revenu-universel-de-benoit-hamon-boulevard-de-l-utopie_1872032.html
  12. ^ "Vers une élimination de Manuel Valls ? 33% des Français certains d'aller voter à la primaire souhaitent la victoire de Benoît Hamon contre 29% pour celle de Montebourg et 26% celle de l'ancien Premier ministre". Retrieved 23 January 2017.
  13. ^ "Socialist outsider eyes poll-defying win of French presidential ticket". 6 January 2017. Retrieved 23 January 2017 – via Reuters.
  14. ^ a b "Résultats de la primaire à gauche : Montebourg reconnaît sa défaite et appelle à voter Hamon". Le Monde. 22 January 2017. Retrieved 22 January 2017.
  15. ^ Bastié, Eugénie; Licourt, Julien (29 January 2016). "Résultats primaire à gauche : Benoît Hamon élu au second tour". Le Figaro. Retrieved 30 January 2017.
Political offices
Preceded by Minister of National Education
2014 		Succeeded by
Party political offices
Preceded by Socialist Party nominee for President of France
2017 		Most recent
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