Claude Cheysson
Claude Cheysson | |
---|---|
![]() Cheysson in 1981 | |
Minister of External Affairs | |
In office 22 May 1981 – 7 December 1984 | |
President | François Mitterrand |
Prime Minister | Pierre Mauroy Laurent Fabius |
Preceded by | Jean François-Poncet |
Succeeded by | Roland Dumas |
Personal details | |
Born | 16th arrondissement of Paris,France | 13 April 1920
Died | 15 October 2012 6th arrondissement of Paris,France | (aged 92)
Political party | Socialist Party |
Alma mater | École polytechnique ÉNA |
Claude Cheysson(French pronunciation:[klodʃɛsɔ̃];13 April 1920 – 15 October 2012) was a FrenchSocialistpolitician who served asForeign Ministerin the government ofPierre Mauroyfrom 1981 to 1984.[1]
Career
[edit]Cheysson was born inParisand attended theCours Hattemer,a private school.[2]He fled from France during World War II and joined the2nd Armored DivisionofGeneral Leclerc,serving as a second lieutenant in the 12th Chasseurs d'Afrique Regiment. He joined the Foreign Ministry in 1948 and became head of the liaison service with the West German authorities the following year. As he moved through the ranks of the Foreign Ministry, he served as counselor to the president of the government ofFrench Indochinain 1952, cabinet chief ofPremierPierre Mendès Francefrom 1954 to 1955, and general secretary of the Commission for Technical Cooperation in Africa from 1957 to 1962. He was director of theOrganisme Saharienfrom 1962 until 1965, and ambassador toIndonesiafrom 1966 to 1969.
In 1973, Cheysson was appointed as the FrenchEuropean Commissioner.His first post, which he held until 1977, was in charge of development policy, cooperation,budgets,and financial control. From 1977 until 1981, he took on the development portfolio.
In 1981 he left the commission and became a member of the French Government, serving as Minister of Foreign Affairs until 1984. (The ministry was renamed as the Ministry of External Relations, but the previous name was re-established in 1986.) He joined theDelors Commission,where he was responsible forMediterraneanpolicy and north–south relations, from 1985 to 1989.
By 1999, Cheysson joined theCollectif Liberté pour l'Afghanistan,an organization lobbying for the West to stop tolerating theTalibanand "Osama bin Laden,the millionaireSaudifinancier of terror ".[3]
References
[edit]- ^Agence France-Presse(16 October 2012)."Mort de l'ancien ministre socialiste Claude Cheysson".Le Monde(in French).Retrieved16 October2012.
- ^"Quelques Anciens Celebres".Hattemer. Archived fromthe originalon 18 June 2015.Retrieved30 June2015.
- ^O'Shaughnessy, Hugh (9 January 2002)."Marcel Niedergang".The Independent.Retrieved21 December2015.
- 1920 births
- 2012 deaths
- Politicians from Paris
- 20th-century French diplomats
- Foreign ministers of France
- Socialist Party (France) politicians
- French European commissioners
- École Polytechnique alumni
- École nationale d'administration alumni
- French military personnel of World War II
- French Army officers
- Ambassadors of France to Indonesia
- Honorary Knights Grand Cross of the Order of St Michael and St George
- European commissioners (1973–1977)
- European commissioners (1977–1981)
- European commissioners (1981–1985)
- European commissioners (1985–1988)
- French expatriates in Vietnam
- Socialist Party (France) politician stubs
- European politician stubs
- European Union stubs
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