Francois Fillon
From AICbackground
Prime Minister of France
Quotes:
"We [Mr. Mubarak of Egypt and I] talked about bilateral relations between France and Egypt, bilateral relations which have been growing at a faster rate over the past few years, with a lot of French investment in Egypt and with the very fine and very symbolic project of the French University in Egypt."
Speaking about Sarkozy’s presidential rival Segolene Royal, in reference to her meeting with a Hezbollah lawmaker, and her failure to react to a Nazi reference: "Accepting to speak with a member of Hezbollah, which advocates the destruction of Israel, was already a mistake...letting him insult France's allies, whether they are the United States or Israel, without reacting, is another serious mistake."
Early Years and Education
You were born March 4, 1954 in the Sarthe region of northern France, and have lived there all your life. You married a Welsh woman, Penelope Clark, in 1980, and through her native ties and your anglophilic tendencies, you keep close ties with the United Kingdom.
Public Life
You've had a diverse and active life in public service spanning 4 decades. Throughout the late 1970's and early 1980's you served as assistant to several ministers in the government. In the 1980's you were a member and chair of several government councils in Sarthe, then in the 1990's you were elected as National Assembly Deputy for your native Sarthe region. During these decades you were Mayor of Sable-sur-Sarthe, and also were the minister of several national departments. In the first few years of the current decade, you continued in your role as Minister of Social Affairs, then of National Education. In 2004 you were elected as Senator representing Sarthe, and on May 17th, 2007 you were named Prime Minister of France.
Party Affiliations: From 1997 through 2001 you were an active member of the RPR (Rally for the Republic)--an originally pro-Chirac political group. You have always run with the UMP political party (Union for Popular Movement) which is the main center-right party in France. In line with your activity in the UMP party, you were a chief advisor for Nicolas Sarkozy's run for President.
Domestic Issues of Concern
You are an old-school Gaullist who was once close to President Jacques Chirac, but you pledged your loyalty to Mr Sarkozy in 2005 after being unceremoniously dumped from the Chirac government.
You came from the left of Mr Sarkozy's Union for a Popular Movement party and believe in social inclusiveness, a fact which could help you deal with some of France's notoriously difficult trade unions when it comes to bargaining over economic reform.
As social affairs minister you pushed through controversial pension reform despite strikes and demonstrations by more than a million protesters, and you are known as a "listener" among powerful union leaders. You are determined to quickly enact Mr Sarkozy's plans to cut taxes, loosen the 35-hour work week rule and curb strike powers. In May of 2007, you promised to deliver "a new kind of politics."
Your low-key style is seen as a balance to Mr Sarkozy's hyperactivity and you are said to be able to handle the president's quick temper. Although you were once bitter party rivals, you joined the Sarkozy camp when you felt slighted by Jacques Chirac, and you were at Mr Sarkozy's side throughout the campaign.
You and the President are described as "fire and water": you are a man of the shadows as contrasted with Sarkozy's love of the spotlight, and you're a regional figure as contrasted with Mr Sarkozy's urbane image. You appear ready to step back and facilitate Mr Sarkozy's drive to be the most omnipresent, powerful French president yet, addressing parliament and shaping policy and domestic affairs.
During the middle of May, you and the President were keen to resume your famed joint jogging sessions in front of the cameras. You arrived at the Elysée early in shorts and trainers before setting off on a typical punishing sprint with your boss. You once said that Mr Sarkozy "never stops talking" during his runs.
You have said that you favor a presidential regime where the head of state manages the government, and Mr Sarkozy is certain to concentrate power at the Elysée with his promised "hands on" approach.
Foreign policy and defense are the special domain of the French president and Mr Sarkozy will increase his hold by appointing his own White House-style security adviser and council. He is unlikely to leave day-to-day domestic matters to his ministers and cabinet. Already he has taken direct control of choosing his cabinet and has led talks with unions and
Beliefs and Policies
You said that Egypt is playing a stabilizing role in the search for peace. You have spoken frequently about the situation in Lebanon, in the Palestinian Territories, and about the Mediterranean Union which President Sarkozy has proposed establishing. Finally, you are looking into bilateral relations between France and Egypt. These bilateral relations have been growing at a faster rate over the past few years, with a lot of French investment in Egypt and with the very fine and very symbolic project of the French University in Egypt.
Your pro-Israeli views have prompted a flurry of contacts between Arab capitals and Paris, with Arabs seeking a reassurance of continuity. President Mubarak of Egypt was so worried about a French shift that he sought a meeting to ask Sarkozy about his “Israeli bias” during his recent visit to Paris to bid farewell to his predecessor Jacques Chirac.
Your election was hailed by Israel and Jewish organizations worldwide, including Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, CRIF (the umbrella group of French Jewish communal organizations), the Israel lobby AIPAC in the United States, and the Rabbinical Center of Europe, to name a few. All felt relieved to see the new Sarkozy-led, pro-Israel French administration with strong Jewish and US connections. You have openly and repeatedly been called a friend of Israel in good times and in bad, the Israeli French edition of the Jerusalem Post reported on May 3, quoting you as saying that “makes me an ‘Atlantist (Define Atlantist: pro-Western political policies),’ pro-Israeli and pro-American.” They hope that you will adopt a policy more in coordination with the US and in line with that of Britain and Germany than with what they see as a traditional “politique arabe de la France” of recent decades.
You have visited Israel several times, but never the Israeli-occupied Palestinian territories. You have repeatedly said that you would not legitimize Hamas or Hizbullah by entering into dialogue with them, a statement that some politically translate into exacerbation of the Palestinian and Lebanese national divides by not recognizing the democratically elected Hamas-led national unity government (thus perpetuating the siege on the Palestinians) and by blocking Hezbollah’s partnership in Lebanon’s decision-making.
Role-Playing Notes
You are silently passive, more in line with the deafening silence from the US, revealing a politically selective approach. You are incredibly close with Great Britain and are a champion of western policies. You generally and in public have sworn allegiance to Sarkozy and his policies.
Annotated List of References
http://www.ambafrance-uk.org/Prime-Minister-Francois-Fillon-s.html
http://www.premier-ministre.gouv.fr/en/thematique/foreign_policy_m355/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fran%C3%A7ois_Fillon#Political_career
