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### Viewing cable 07PARIS2027, THE FILLON GOVERNMENT, SARKOZY'S REFORM TEAM, NAMED

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Reference ID | Created | Released | Classification | Origin
--- | --- | --- | --- | ---
07PARIS2027 | 2007-05-18 17:05 | 2010-11-30 21:09 | UNCLASSIFIED | Embassy Paris

`

    VZCZCXRO0068
    RR RUEHAG RUEHAST RUEHDA RUEHDBU RUEHDF RUEHFL RUEHIK RUEHKW RUEHLA
    RUEHLN RUEHLZ RUEHPOD RUEHROV RUEHSR RUEHVK RUEHYG
    DE RUEHFR #2027/01 1381754
    ZNR UUUUU ZZH
    R 181754Z MAY 07
    FM AMEMBASSY PARIS
    TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 7358
    INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE
    RUEHMRE/AMCONSUL MARSEILLE 1717
    RUEHSR/AMCONSUL STRASBOURG 0419
    RHEHNSC/NSC WASHINGTON DC
    RUEHC/DEPARTMENT OF LABOR WASHDC
    RUCPDOC/DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE WASHDC
    RUEATRS/DEPARTMENT OF TREASURY WASHDC

` `

    UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 07 PARIS 002027

    SIPDIS

    SIPDIS

    DEPT ALSO FOR EUR/WE, DRL/IL, INR/EUC, EUR/ERA, EUR/PPD,
    AND EB
    DEPT OF COMMERCE FOR ITA
    DEPT OF LABOR FOR ILAB

    E.O. 12958: N/A
    TAGS: PGOV ELAB EU FR PINR SOCI ECON
    SUBJECT: THE FILLON GOVERNMENT, SARKOZY'S REFORM TEAM, NAMED

    REF: A. (A) PARIS 1817 AND PREVIOUS

    ¶B. (B) EMBASSY PARIS DAILY SIPRNET REPORT FOR MAY 18
    ¶C. 2007 AND PREVIOUS

    PARIS 00002027 001.2 OF 007

    SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED -- HANDLE ACCORDINGLY

    SUMMARY
    -------
    ¶1. (SBU) Intent on maintaining the momentum for reform,
    President Sarkozy moved quickly following his inauguration
    May 16 (ref B). Sarkozy named his administration's first
    Prime Minster, Francois Fillon the following day, May 17,
    then immediately named the line-up of the Fillon government
    on May 18. The new government includes major figures from
    the wing of Sarkozy's own Union for a Popular Movement (UMP)
    party that opposed Sarkozy's nomination as the party's
    presidential candidate, from the opposition Socialist Party
    (PS) (Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner) and from the
    centrist Union for French Democracy (UDF) party (Defense
    Minister Herve Morin). The Fillon government ministerial team
    is the fruit of Sarkozy's outreach efforts across the
    political spectrum in the days immediately following his
    election (ref A). Sarkozy -- very confident that the UMP
    will keep its parliamentary majority following the upcoming
    June 10 and 17 legislative elections -- may well be
    accelerating his plans to implement reforms; the newly named
    government is designed to reflect multi-partisan
    responsibility for the upcoming reform effort, which will be
    actively, personally directed by Sarkozy himself. END
    SUMMARY.

    BROAD-BASED GOVERNMENT NAMED QUICKLY
    -----------------------------------
    ¶2. (U) As expected, President Nicolas Sarkozy -- after
    naming Francois Fillon on May 17 the Sarkozy administration's
    first prime minister -- immediately also named the members of
    the Fillon government. On May 18, Claude Gueant, the new
    Secretary General of the Elysee Palace who served as

    SIPDIS
    Sarkozy's campaign manager during the presidential race,
    announced the composition of the new government (for list
    names and bio info see paras 7 - 32 below). This government
    is the result of 1) Sarkozy's early decision to name Fillon
    PM (ref B), as all UMP electoral projections kept indicating
    a very likely Sarkozy victory; and 2) Sarkozy's unexpected
    outreach efforts across the political spectrum in the days
    following his May 10 election victory (ref A).

    "SARKOZY'S REFORM TEAM"
    -----------------------
    ¶3. (U) This government is "Sarkozy's reform team," with
    Fillon in the role of executive officer. All indications are
    that the UMP will keep its current majority in the National
    Assembly in the upcoming June 10 and 17 legislative
    elections. The composition of this government -- which
    includes prominent members from the formerly anti-Sarkozy
    faction of the UMP (Juppe and Alliot-Marie) and a member from
    the opposition Socialist Party (PS) Kouchner) and one from
    the centrist Union for French Democracy (UDF) party (Morin)--
    is designed to add the "multi-partisan, unity government"
    card to Sarkozy's already very strong hand (a mandate-giving
    victory and a new parliamentary majority) for pursuing his
    reform agenda. On the reform implementation front, all
    indications are that Sarkozy plans to keep up the pace he as
    set not only in naming his administration's first government
    in record time, but also in naming a government that, in
    effect, significantly restructures France's executive branch.

    FOUR FACETS OF RESTRUCTURING
    -----------------------------
    ¶4. (SBU) As promised, the number of ministries has been
    reduced to 15, driving a re-structuring of functions that
    divides the large and un-agile mega-ministries of economy and
    interior each into two "new" ministries. Sarkozy's
    restructuring also includes the creation of a "super
    ministry" of Ecology and Sustainable Development. It also
    overtly moves foreign policy direction to the Elysee. The
    economy ministry has been split into a pro-active Ministry of
    Economy, Finance and Employment under former Social
    Solidarity Minister Jean-Louis Borloo, and a more
    accounting-oriented Ministry of Budget, Public Accounting and
    Civil Service under UMP parliamentarian Eric Woerth. The

    PARIS 00002027 002.2 OF 007

    core interior ministry security functions remain in an
    Interior Ministry under former Defense Minister Michelle
    Alliot-Marie, as immigration and naturalization matters move
    to a new Ministry of Immigration, Integration, National
    Identity and Co-development under Sarkozy's closest political
    ally, Brice Hortefeux.

    ¶5. (U) Sarkozy's re-structuring includes the creation of a
    Ministry of Ecology, Sustainable Development and Sustainable
    Planning under former Prime Minster Alain Juppe. Juppe also
    gets the title of Minister of State, which makes him number
    two in the government after Prime Minister Fillon. With
    regard to foreign affairs, Sarkozy has put policy direction
    firmly under his personal control at the Elysee through a
    far-reaching role for outgoing Ambassador to the U.S.
    Jean-David Levitte, in a role similar to that of the U.S.
    National Security Advisor. By naming Socialist Bernard
    Kouchner (of Doctors Without Borders fame) as Foreign
    Minster, Sarkozy has put an emphasis on humanitarian and
    human rights matters in the mission of the Quai d'Orsay

    A GOVERNMENT OF GENDER PARITY
    -----------------------------
    ¶6. (U) Also as promised, the new government observes gender
    parity -- seven of the new ministers are women. They are
    Michele Alliot-Marie (Minister of Interior, Overseas
    Territories and Local Governments), Rachida Dati (Minister of
    Justice), Valerie Pecresse (Minister of Higher Education and
    Research), Roselyn Bachelot (Minister of Health, Youth and
    Sports), Christine Boutin (Minister of Housing and Cities),
    Christine Lagarde (Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries),
    and Christine Albanel (Minister of Culture and Communication,
    Government Spokeswoman). Incidentally, the three top
    officials in this new French administration, President
    Sarkozy, Prime Minister Fillon and Minister of State Juppe
    are graduates of the U.S. Government's International Visitor
    Program (IVP) (Sarkozy in 1985, Fillon in 1984 and Juppe in
    1978). It is also noteworthy that the two top officials,
    Sarkozy and Fillon, are not graduates of France's elite
    school for top civil-servants, the National School of
    Administration (ENA). There follow biographical sketches of
    the new government's Prime Minister (Fillon), Foreign Minster
    (Kouchner), Defense Minister (Morin) and the government's
    number two (Juppe), who is Minister of Ecology, Sustainable
    Development and Sustainable Planning, and thumbnail bios of
    the other members of the new government.

    Prime Minister ) Francois Fillon
    --------------------------------
    ¶7. (SBU) Francois Fillon, a former Gaullist with a keen
    interest in social affairs and defense issues, was named
    Prime Minister on May 17, 2007. Fillon broke ranks with
    former President Chirac following the UMP's crushing
    electoral defeats in the regional and European elections of
    ¶2004. Fillon blamed Chirac's slow pace of social reforms for
    that electoral defeat, and has since vowed to move quickly to
    implement President Sarkozy's reform agenda. Fillon is best
    known for pushing through a controversial reform of the
    national pension system in 2003 -- arguably the most
    significant reform passed during Jacques Chirac's 12-year
    presidency.

    ¶8. (SBU) Fillon served in the Raffarin government as
    Minister of Education from 2004-05, and as Minister of Social
    Affairs, Labor, and Solidarity from 2002-04. Fillon is given
    high marks for his handling of several politically sensitive
    labor reform measures during the 2002-04 period, including a
    de facto extension of the 35-hour workweek (by allowing
    employees to work more overtime hours); simplifying and
    raising the minimum wage; and passage of a controversial
    pension reform bill. Several of Fillon's proposed reforms to
    the education system, however, were watered down or withdrawn
    in an (ultimately unsuccessful) effort to mollify public
    opinion in advance of the vote on the EU Constitution.

    ¶9. (SBU) Fillon served as a National Assembly Deputy from
    the Sarthe department (in western France) between 1981-93 and
    1997-2002. Throughout the 1980s and 90s, he was considered a
    leading expert on defense-related issues and served as
    chairman of the Assembly's Defense Committee during 1986-88.
    He was among the few Gaullists to call for greater French

    PARIS 00002027 003.2 OF 007

    participation in NATO. Fillon also served as Minister for
    Higher Education and Research during the government of
    Edouard Balladur (1993-95), and as Deputy Minister for Posts,
    Telecommunications, and Space during the government of Alain
    Juppe (1995-97). Fillon's political career includes a
    four-year stint (1998-2002) as President of the
    Pays-de-la-Loire Regional Council in western France. He was
    elected to the Senate in 2005 representing his native Sarthe
    department.

    ¶10. (SBU) Fillon understands English, but prefers to speak
    French. He met his British-born wife, the former Penelope
    Clarke from Wales, when she was an English instructor at the
    university Fillon also attended in the Maine region of
    France. The couple has five children. Fillon has made
    several trips to the United States, including a tour as an IV
    grantee in 1984.

    Minister of Foreign and European
    --------------------------------
    Affairs ) Bernard Kouchner
    --------------------------
    ¶11. (SBU) In a surprise move, President Sarkozy has
    appointed world renowned humanitarian Bernard Kouchner as
    Minister of Foreign and European Affairs. Kouchner's
    appointment to lead the Quai d'Orsay represents the
    fulfillment of a longtime dream for the celebrated champion
    of humanitarian causes. Kouchner has made a career out of
    drawing attention to international humanitarian issues. His
    numerous efforts include projects in Somalia, Bosnia,
    Northern Iraq, Nagorno-Karabakh, Sudan, Ethiopia and Lebanon.
    Considered a maverick among his Socialist Party colleagues,
    Kouchner was one of the few politicians (left or right) to
    openly support the American-led invasion of Iraq in 2003. An
    experienced administrator, he has held three ministerial
    portfolios in Socialist governments: as Junior-Minister for
    Health (1997-98 and 2001-2002), as Minister of Health and
    Humanitarian Affairs (1992-93), and as Secretary of State for
    Humanitarian Affairs (1988-92). During 1994-97, Kouchner
    served as a Member of the European Parliament. He officially
    joined the Socialist Party in 1998.

    ¶12. (U) Appointed by then-Secretary General Kofi Annan,
    Kouchner served as the UN's Special Representative in Kosovo
    during 1999-2001. In this capacity he acted as a virtual
    governor of the province during its occupation by a NATO-led
    peacekeeping force. He had the power to levy taxes, write
    new laws, and form a police force. Kouchner's appointment
    represented a diplomatic victory for President Jacques
    Chirac, who lobbied aggressively on Kouchner's behalf. Upon
    conclusion of his mandate, Kouchner received international
    praise for his competence, objectivity, and dedication. In
    recent years Kouchner has unsuccessfully bid on two top IO
    positions: UN High Commissioner on Refugees and head of the
    World Health Organization.

    ¶13. (U) Kouchner has been active in aiding distressed
    populations throughout the world since the late-1960s, when
    he began working in Biafra and Chad. A gastroenterologist by
    training, Kouchner left his Paris medical practice behind
    and, in 1971, helped found &Medecins Sans Frontieres8
    (Doctors Without Borders), an organization of volunteer
    doctors dedicated to helping patients in disadvantaged
    countries around the world. Following a rift with other
    founding members, Kouchner set up Doctors of the World in
    ¶1980.

    ¶14. (SBU) Kouchner was born on November 1, 1939. Kouchner
    has three children by a prior relationship. His longtime
    companion, Christine Ockrent, hosts a news program on the
    state-run TV network France 3. They have one child.
    Kouchner speaks excellent English.

    Minister of Defense ) Herve Morin
    ---------------------------------
    ¶15. (SBU) Herve Morin has represented the rural, 3rd
    district of the Eure department in the National Assembly
    since 1988. He is a member of the centrist Union for French
    Democracy (UDF) party. Morin has been the leader of the UDF
    parliamentary group in the assembly since 2002, and was
    widely seen as the leader of the UDF parliamentarians who

    PARIS 00002027 004.2 OF 007

    rallied to Sarkozy once UDF leader Francois Bayrou was
    eliminated in the first round of the presidential race.
    Morin has been a close Embassy contact. Friendly and direct,
    he is unabashed about his affection for the U.S., often
    referring to his Normandy roots and the grateful memories of
    the Liberation that he calls "our heritage." The French
    press characterizes Morin as among the most Atlanticist of
    all deputies. A relative newcomer on the national political
    stage, Morin worked as an administrator in the National
    Assembly beginning in 1978, and thus cannot be considered a
    neophyte in the Assembly's corridors of power. He was a
    counselor for parliamentary relations to then-Minister of
    Defense Francois Leotard (UDF) during 1993-95, and also
    served as spokesman and project coordinator for Francois
    Bayrou's 2002 presidential campaign.

    ¶16. (SBU) In relatively short order, Morin became a member of
    Bayrou's inner circle, largely by remaining a UDF loyalist
    while other party leaders were defecting to Chirac's camp in
    the run-up to the 2002 presidential election. In Bayrou's
    2007 presidential bid, Morin filled a range of roles in the
    campaign: coordinator for special communication projects and
    point man for refuting UMP charges made against UDF
    proposals. Morin understands some English, but prefers to
    speak French.

    Minister of Ecology and Development ) Alain Juppe
    --------------------------------------------- ----
    ¶17. (SBU) Former Prime Minister Alain Juppe, once famously
    described as "the best among us" by his mentor Jacques
    Chirac, has returned to the national political stage to lead
    a new "super ministry of ecology and economic development"
    formally called the Ministry of Ecology and Sustainable
    Development and Planning. Juppe also gets the, largely
    honorary, but coveted Minister of State title which places
    him second (behind PM Fillon) in the government's official
    protocol ranking. Juppe's high-profile appointment
    underlines President Sarkozy's commitment to leading action
    on global warming. In his May 6 victory address to the
    nation, Sarkozy highlighted the need for the United States,
    with France, to "take the lead" in the fight against climate
    change.

    ¶18. (SBU) Juppe's appointment to a senior government post
    represents a political comeback for the man once seen as
    Jacques Chirac's likeliest (and preferred) successor.
    Juppe's conviction, in 2004, on charges relating illegally
    paid for political party staffers severely damaged his
    political career. Juppe was given a 14-month suspended
    sentence and one-year of ineligibility from holding public
    office. Juppe was forced to resign from both his seat in the
    National Assembly and his local elective office as mayor of
    Bordeaux. But more importantly, his resignation from the
    presidency of the UMP opened the door for Nicolas Sarkozy to
    take over. During 2005 Juppe taught a year-long seminar on
    globalization at Quebec's National School of Administration.
    During his stint in North America he became increasingly
    interested in environmental advocacy and, by his own account,
    was greatly influenced by the anti-global warming campaign
    directed by former Vice-President Al Gore.

    Minister of Economy, Finance and
    --------------------------------
    Employment -- Jean Louis Borloo
    -------------------------------
    ¶19. (SBU) Jean-Louis Borloo has been tapped to lead the
    newly revamped Ministry of Economy, Finance and Employment
    which now includes enhanced powers over employment issues and
    economic strategy. A political maverick with a populist
    streak, Borloo previously served in the Raffarin and Villepin
    governments as Minister for Employment, Labor and Social
    Cohesion during 2004-07. He was also Junior Minister for
    Towns and Urban Renewal from 2002-04. In recent months
    Borloo has overseen development of Nicolas Sarkozy's
    so-called "Marshall Plan for the Suburbs," which seeks to
    revive employment and education prospects in immigrant
    neighborhoods. Self-assured, frank and quick-to-action,
    Borloo remains a highly popular figure among the general
    public.

    Minister of Interior, Overseas Territories

    PARIS 00002027 005.2 OF 007

    ------------------------------------------
    and Local Governments -- Michele Alliot-Marie
    ---------------------------------------------
    ¶20. (SBU) Neo-Gaullist Michele Alliot-Marie has been named
    to lead the Ministry of Interior, Overseas Territories and
    Local Governments by President Nicolas Sarkozy. Often
    referred to by her initials as "MAM" in the French press,
    Alliot-Marie is one of the few holdovers from the Chirac
    administration and was likely retained because of her strong
    support during the campaign and, at least in part, because of
    Sarkozy's desire to maintain gender parity in his new
    administration. Alliot-Marie served ably as Minister of
    Defense from 2002-07, becoming the first woman in French
    history to hold that position. Known as a "hands-on"
    minister, Alliot-Marie was well liked and respected by French
    Armed Forces personnel. During her tenure she fought
    successfully to prevent drastic cuts to the defense budget,
    and made several visits to French troops stationed in
    Afghanistan and Africa. Alliot-Marie also demonstrated a
    sincere desire to maintain good U.S.-French
    military-to-military relations, although she maintained a
    problematic relationship with former Defense Minister Donald
    Rumsfeld on such issues as European security (ESDP) and
    coordinated European procurement (EDA).

    Minister of Immigration, Integration, National
    --------------------------------------------- -
    Identity and Co-Development ) Brice Hortefeux
    ---------------------------------------------
    ¶21. (SBU) Long-time Sarkozy ally Brice Hortefeux has been
    appointed to lead the newly created Ministry of Immigration,
    Integration, National Identity and Co-Development. During
    the 2007 presidential campaign Sarkozy said that immigration
    reform would be a top priority of his administration and that
    he wanted to create a single agency in order to consolidate
    the administration of immigration policy portfolio that was
    spread out among three different ministries. Hortefeux is
    one of Sarkozy's oldest friends and political allies. He
    served as Junior Minister of Collective Territories in the
    old Villepin government from 2005-07. He was also a member
    of the European Parliament from 1999 to 2005. According to
    the press, Hortefeux and Cecilia Sarkozy, the president's
    highly influential wife, often clashed during the run-up to
    the 2007 presidential election. Hortefeux has maintained
    close ties with the Embassy over the years, although in
    private he has been a harsh critic of President George W.
    Bush's policy in Iraq.

    Minister of Justice ) Rachida Dati
    ----------------------------------
    ¶22. (SBU) Sarkozy protege Rachida Dati has been tapped to
    serve as Minister of Justice ("Garde de Sceaux"). A lawyer
    and former magistrate born to North African immigrants, Dati
    joined Sarkozy at the Interior Ministry in 2002 as an advisor
    on delinquency issues where she helped build up a network of
    contacts and supporters among the immigrant community.
    Impressed by her poise, intelligence and hard-driving work
    ethic, Sarkozy later choose Dati to serve as a
    co-spokesperson for his presidential campaign. Her political
    experience began in 1995 when she joined the staff of the
    Education Ministry. From 1997-99 she worked in the justice
    ministry as an internal auditor, before being named a
    magistrate at a criminal court in a town called Peronne. In
    2001 she was named acting magistrate at the criminal court in
    Evry, a suburb of Paris, where she specialized in financial
    crime cases. Dati was born on November 27, 1965 in
    Saint-Remy, France. Dati's Moroccan immigrant parents were
    poor; hers is an up-from-poverty success story made possible
    by hard work and free public education. She holds an
    economic science degree from the Higher School of Business
    (1993) and later took a masters in law (1996). She graduated
    from the National School of Magistrates in 1997. Dati is
    unmarried. Dati does not speak English.

    Minister of Labor, Social Relations
    ------------------------------------
    and Solidarity ) Xavier Bertrand
    --------------------------------
    ¶23. (SBU) President Nicolas Sarkozy has named UMP rising
    star Xavier Bertrand to lead the newly created Ministry of
    Labor, Social Relations and Solidarity. A formidable

    PARIS 00002027 006.2 OF 007

    debater, Bertrand served admirably as one of Sarkozy's
    spokespersons during the 2007 presidential campaign. A
    relative newcomer on the national political scene, Bertrand
    served in the Raffarin government as State Secretary for
    Social Security from April 2004 to June 2005. During this
    period he was responsible for negotiating with union and
    employer representatives regarding the reform of France's
    nearly-bankrupt health insurance system. In recognition for
    his successful efforts, Bertrand was then promoted to
    Minister of Health and Solidarity when Dominique de Villepin
    took over the reigns of government in 2005. He resigned for
    the government on March 26, 2007 in order to devote himself
    full-time to Sarkozy's presidential campaign.

    ¶24. (SBU) Bertrand is a hard-working detail-oriented
    administrator. As Health Minister, Bertrand worked closely
    with U.S. officials to develop plans to cope with the
    emerging Bird Flu threat. In 2006 he requested assistance
    from visiting U.S. officials to help contain the Chikungunya
    epidemic on Reunion Island in the Indian Ocean. Bertrand
    later praised American contributions to the containment
    effort, saying American assistance accelerated the
    development and distribution of an effective vaccine.

    Minister of Education ) Xavier Darcos
    -------------------------------------
    ¶25. (SBU) UMP deputy Xavier Darcos has been named Minister
    of Education. Darcos served as Junior Minister for
    Cooperation, International Development and Francophone
    Affairs from 2004-05, and as Junior Minister for Primary and
    Secondary Education from 2002-04. A former senator from the
    Dordogne region in southwestern France (1997-2002), Darcos
    was not particularly close to former President Jacques Chirac
    and hence was not kept on when the government of Dominique de
    Villepin was formed in June 2005. He does not speak English.

    Minister for Higher Education
    ------------------------------
    and Research ) Valerie Pecresse
    -------------------------------
    ¶26. (SBU) UMP deputy Valerie Pecresse has been named
    Minister for Higher Education and Research. Plucky and
    combative, Pecresse has served as spokesperson for the UMP
    political party since 2004 and regularly appears on TV and
    radio political debate programs. She was elected to the
    National Assembly representing Versailles-Chevreuse
    (Yvelines) in June 2002, and was immediately appointed to the
    National Assembly's law commission. Pecresse played a
    prominent role in President Chirac's 2002 reelection
    campaign, where she was in charge of dissecting the
    opposition's positions and preparing rebuttals for candidate
    Chirac. She has been a member of the UMP's political bureau
    since 2004, but does not appear closely allied to Nicolas
    Sarkozy. However, her omnipresent and effective performance
    during the 2007 presidential campaign likely assured her a
    spot in the Fillon government.

    Minister of Health, Youth and Sports
    ------------------------------------
    ) Roselyn Bachelot
    ------------------
    ¶27. (SBU) Roselyn Bachelot-Narquin has been named Minister
    of Health, Youth and Sports. Bachelot served as Minister of
    Ecology and Sustainable Development in the Raffarin
    government from 2002-04. A long-time Chirac loyalist,
    Bachelot served as the former president's spokeswoman during
    his 2002 reelection bid. She was elected to a five-year term
    in the European Parliament in June 2004. Bachelot served on
    the European Parliament's commission investigating alleged
    overflights of European territory by the CIA aircraft
    transporting terrorist suspects. She has been a deputy
    secretary general at the UMP political party since 2006.

    SIPDIS

    Minister for Housing and Cities
    -------------------------------
    ) Christine Boutin
    ------------------
    ¶28. (SBU) Social conservative Christine Boutin has been
    named Minister for Housing and Cities. Boutin as has served
    in the National Assembly representing the 10th district in
    the Yvelines department since 1986. Something of a political

    PARIS 00002027 007.2 OF 007

    maverick, she was first elected to the Assembly without the
    endorsement of any party, but joined the center-right UMP in
    ¶2002. Boutin rose to national prominence for her opposition
    to the 1999 &PACS8 legislation which provided a range for
    civil union, tax benefit, inheritance and surviving partner
    rights to gay and lesbian couples. After losing that battle,
    Boutin ran for the presidency 2002, obtaining just over 1
    percent of the first round vote.

    Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries
    -------------------------------------
    ) Christine Lagarde
    -------------------
    ¶29. (SBU) Christine Lagarde has been named Minister of
    Agriculture and Fisheries. Laggard's appointment follows on
    her successful tenure in the Villepin government as Junior
    Minister for Foreign Trade from 2005-07. Lagarde's
    performance reportedly made a favorable impression on
    then-Interior Minister Nicolas Sarkozy, who was determined to
    keep her in his future administration. An accomplished
    lawyer specializing in antitrust and labor law, Lagarde
    formerly served as worldwide president at Baker and McKenzie
    from 2004-05. During the prior five year period, she was
    president of Baker and McKenzie's executive committee in
    Chicago.

    Minister of Culture and Communication,
    --------------------------------------
    Government Spokeswoman -- Christine Albanel
    --------------------------------------------
    ¶30. (SBU) Former Chirac collaborator and speechwriter
    Christine Albanel has been named Minister of Culture and
    Communication. She will also serve as the Fillon
    government's official spokeswoman. Albanel served as
    president of the Versailles Historical Site and Museum from
    2003 until her ministerial appointment. A member the UMP's
    predecessor, the Rally for the Republic (RPR) political
    party, Albanel represented Paris on the Ile-de-France
    Regional Council from 1986-1992 and again from 1998-2004.

    Minister for Budget, Public Accounts
    ------------------------------------
    and Civil Service ) Eric Woerth
    -------------------------------
    ¶31. (SBU) UMP National Assembly member Eric Woerth has been
    named Minister for Budget, Public Accounts and Civil Service.
    Woerth represented the 4th district of the Oise department
    in the National Assembly from 2002-04, before serving in the
    Raffarin government as State Secretary for Reform of the
    State from March 2004 to June 2005. He was reelected to his
    old Assembly seat in a special by-election in that latter
    year. At the local level, he has been Mayor of Chantilly
    since 1995, and sat on the Picardie Regional Council during
    1992-2002.

    Four State Secretaries and a High Commissioner
    --------------------------------------------- -
    ¶32. (U) Five other posts in the new government were also
    filled. Under the Prime Minister's office: Roger Karoutchi
    will be State Secretary for Relations with the Parliament,
    and Eric Besson will be State Secretary for Strategic
    Planning and Assessment of Public Policies. Under the
    Minister for Foreign and European Affairs: Jean-Pierre Jouyet
    has been named State Secretary for European Affairs. While
    under the Minister of Ecology, Sustainable Development and
    Planning: Dominique Bussereau is State Secretary for
    Transportation. Finally, Martin Hirsch will serve as High
    Commissioner for Pro-Active Solidarity Against Poverty.
    Please visit Paris' Classified Website at:
    http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/paris/index.c fm

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