Hubert Védrine Explained

Hubert Védrine
Office:Minister of Foreign Affairs
Term Start:4 June 1997
Term End:6 May 2002
Primeminister:Lionel Jospin
Predecessor:Hervé de Charette
Successor:Dominique de Villepin
Office2:Secretary General to the President of France
Term Start2:17 May 1991
Term End2:17 May 1995
President2:François Mitterrand
Predecessor2:Jean-Louis Bianco
Successor2:Dominique de Villepin
Office3:Spokesperson of the President
Term Start3:24 May 1988
Term End3:17 May 1991
President3:François Mitterrand
Predecessor3:Michèle Gendreau-Massaloux
Successor3:Jean Musitelli
Office4:Diplomatic advisor of the President
Term Start4:24 May 1981
Term End4:23 May 1998
President4:François Mitterrand
Predecessor4:Jacques Blot
Successor4:Jean Musitelli
Birth Date:31 July 1947
Birth Place:Saint-Silvain-Bellegarde, France
Alma Mater:Sciences Po, ÉNA
Party:Socialist Party

Hubert Védrine (in French pronounced as /ybɛʁ vedʁin/; born 31 July 1947) is a French Socialist politician. He is an advisor at Moelis & Company.

Early life and career

Following a history degree and graduating from both Sciences Po and ENA, Védrine had toyed with the idea of entering journalism but, on the advice of the historian and family friend Jean Lacouture, instead took a post at the culture ministry.[1]

Védrine was one of the longest-serving aides to a French President and worked closely with President François Mitterrand from 1981 to 1995. Védrine served first as Mitterrand's diplomatic advisor (the French equivalent of the National Security Advisor) from 1981 to 1988, then as Mitterrand's spokesperson from 1988 to 1991, and finally as Secretary-General of the French presidency (the equivalent of the White House Chief of Staff) from 1991 to 1995.

Védrine then served as Foreign Minister of France from 1997 to 2002 in the government of Lionel Jospin.[2]

After the re-election of Jacques Chirac in May 2002, Védrine was replaced by Dominique de Villepin. All three men were characterised by their strong opposition to unilateral action by the United States in Iraq.

Védrine popularized the neologism hyperpower to describe what he saw as the historically-unparalleled influence and might that were held by the United States at the turn of the century.[3]

Later career

In 2003, Védrine founded Hubert Vedrine Conseil, a consulting firm.

In 2005, he was appointed by UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan, a member of the High Council for the Alliance of Civilizations, an initiative that seeks to galvanize international action against extremism through intercultural and interreligious dialogue and cooperation.

He took part in 2007 on the committee preparing the Paris Conference on the Environment to lay the foundations for a future United Nations Environment Organization.

Védrine is the author of more than 19 books, two of them having been translated in English by Philip H. Gordon: France in an age of globalization, co-authored with Dominique Moïsi (publisher: Brookings Institution Press, 2001) and History strikes back : how states, nations, and conflicts are shaping the twenty-first century (publisher: Brookings Institution Press, 2008), co-authored with Adrien Abecassis and Mohamed Bouabdallah.

Around the 2017 elections, news media reported that later President Emmanuel Macron sought regularly the advice of Védrine on foreign policy issues.[4] In 2020, he was appointed by NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg to join a group of experts to support his work in a reflection process to further strengthen NATO's political dimension.[5]

Other activities

Corporate boards

Non-profit organizations

Political positions

In February 2020, Védrine joined around fifty former European prime ministers and foreign ministers in signing an open letter published by British newspaper The Guardian to condemn U.S. President Donald Trump's Middle East peace plan, saying it would create an apartheid-like situation in occupied Palestinian territory.[14]

Recognition

Ribbon bar Country Honour
Grand Officier of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic[15]
Grand Officier of the Order of Work Glory[16]
Grand Officier of the Order of Saint-Charles[17]
Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland
Grand Cross of the Order of Prince Henry[18]
Grand Officier of the Order of the Star of Romania

External links

Notes and References

  1. https://www.politico.eu/article/man-of-the-minutiae/ Man of the minutiae
  2. Web site: United Nations – Alliance of Civilizations – Mr. Hubert Védrine (France). Alliance of Civilizations. 3 March 2010. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20090706073845/http://www.unaoc.org/content/view/46/. 6 July 2009.
  3. News: To Paris, U.S. Looks Like a 'Hyperpower'. 5 February 1999. The New York Times. 3 March 2010.
  4. Ben Judah (8 May 2017), Emmanuel Macron's foreign policy doctrine(s) Politico Europe.
  5. https://www.nato.int/cps/en/natohq/news_174756.htm Secretary General appoints group as part of NATO reflection process
  6. http://media.amundi.com/amundi_press_en_uk/Pages/Communiques-de-presse/2016/Amundi-creates-a-Global-Advisory-Board-with-world-renowned-experts-in-global-economic-and-political-issues Amundi creates a Global Advisory Board with world-renowned experts in global economic and political issues
  7. http://richardattiasassociates.com/en/who-we-are/#board International Advisory Board
  8. https://www.lvmh.com/group/about-lvmh/governance/board-of-directors/ Board of Directors
  9. https://www.rencontres-arles.com/en/conseil-d-administration/ Board of Directors
  10. https://francechinafoundation.org/strategic/ Strategic Committee
  11. https://www.iris-france.org/experts-en/ Board of Directors
  12. https://www.sciencespo.fr/psia/content/psia-strategic-committee.html Strategic Committee
  13. Web site: Senior Network. 21 September 2020. www.europeanleadershipnetwork.org. en-GB.
  14. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/feb/27/grave-concern-about-us-plan-to-resolve-israel-palestine-conflict Grave concern about US plan to resolve Israel-Palestine conflict
  15. Web site: Le onorificenze della Repubblica Italiana .
  16. Web site: Page auteur Michel Fuzellier - Lirici | Bibliothèques de Dinan Agglomération . Lirici.dinan-agglomeration.fr . 1944-12-15 . 2022-09-15.
  17. Web site: Ordonnance Souveraine n° 13.149 du 25 juillet 1997 portant promotion ou élévation à la dignité de Grand Officier de l'Ordre de Saint-Charles. 1997-07-25. 2011-01-26.
  18. Web site: ENTIDADES ESTRANGEIRAS AGRACIADAS COM ORDENS PORTUGUESAS - Página Oficial das Ordens Honoríficas Portuguesas .