François Bayrou
Encyclopedia
François Bayrou is a French centrist politician
, president of Union for French Democracy
(UDF) since 1998 and was a candidate in the 2002
and 2007 French presidential elections
. In the first round, he received 18.6% of the vote, finishing in 3rd place and therefore was eliminated from the race. (Only the top two candidates participated in the runoff election, which was held on 6 May). A former Member of the European Parliament
, he also served as Minister of National Education in the conservative governments of Édouard Balladur
and Alain Juppé
, from 1993 to 1997. On Wednesday 25 April 2007, he held a press conference to announce that he would not endorse either of the candidates in the run-off. He then transformed the UDF into a new political party called the Democratic Movement
, which has become widely known in France as the "MoDem".
, Pyrénées-Atlantiques
, a village located between Pau and Lourdes
. He is the eldest son of farmers Calixte Bayrou and Emma Sarthou. He first went to secondary school in Pay, then he transferred to Bordeaux.
François Bayrou has six children from his first and only marriage (his wife Élisabeth "Babette" was 19 years old at the time of marriage). As of early 2007, the family still lives on the farm in Bayrou's birthplace.
Bayrou studied literature at university, and at the age of 23, sat the "agrégation
", the highest qualifying level for teachers in senior high schools and universities in France. His father was killed in a tractor accident at that time.
Prior to embarking on his political career, Bayrou taught history in Béarn
in the French Pyrenees
. He is the author of over a dozen books on politics and history, including one on King Henry IV of France
. François Bayrou's hobby is raising horse
s. A practising Roman Catholic, he is though a fervent supporter of France's system of laïcité
.
(RPR) that would subsequently be named the Union for a Popular Movement
(UMP). As a consequence, many members of the UDF left for the UMP, while the remainder stayed with Bayrou inside the UDF.
However, until the election of Nicolas Sarkozy, UMP governments under Prime Minister
s Jean-Pierre Raffarin
and Dominique de Villepin
had always included one UDF minister, Gilles de Robien
, an opponent of Bayrou.
François Bayrou has been increasingly critical of the course taken by the UMP-led government, which he deems to be out of touch with the average Frenchman. He denounces the de facto
two-party system
, in which the Socialist Party and the RPR (later UMP) have alternated. When in the majority the parliamentarians of both of these parties vote, nearly without question, for the laws proposed by the executive. Instead François Bayrou advocates a system where other voices can be heard.
This position, though popular with UDF (now Modem) party activists, was not necessarily well received by other UDF politicians before 2007. For instance, the last UDF minister, Gilles de Robien
, favored closer alignment with the UMP.
On 16 May 2006, François Bayrou voted for a motion of no confidence
sponsored by Socialist deputies calling for the resignation of Prime Minister
Dominique de Villepin
's government following the Clearstream affair
. (As de Villepin's UMP had an absolute majority in the National Assembly, the motion failed.) Following Bayrou's support for this measure, France's television authority classified him as a member of the parliamentary opposition for timing purposes; however, after Bayrou protested, he was classified as a member of neither the majority nor the opposition.
In 2007, Bayrou contested the presidency once again. The possibility of a Bayrou presidency took the French establishment by surprise. It had been expecting the battle to be fought primarily between Sarkozy and Ségolène Royal
of the Parti Socialiste
, both very personable and media-friendly. The rise of Bayrou's poll numbers in February, however, complicated this "Sarko-Ségo" scenario, and raised the distinct possibility that the Parti Socialiste candidate would be excluded from the second round for a second straight election cycle, following the humiliating defeat of former Prime Minister Lionel Jospin
in 2002 at the hands of right wing nationalist Jean Marie Le Pen. Ultimately, Bayrou was unsuccessful in his attempt to make it into the second round of the election, but he won 18.57% of the vote (6,820,119 votes) and came in a clear third behind the front-runners Nicolas Sarkozy
of the UMP party and Royal of the Parti Socialiste. This was the best performance by the UDF in a Presidential election since 1981. Following the first round, Bayrou declared that he could not endorse either Sarkozy or Royal in the second round, although he did indicate that Sarkozy was the worst of the two choices on offer.
Following his loss, Bayrou announced his intention of forming a new centrist party, the Democratic Movement
(MoDem). Only a handful of UDF politicians followed Bayrou; the majority opposed him and set up a rival party the New Centre
party which pledged to support the alliance with the UMP. Most of the UDF's grassroots membership however, have remained with Bayrou. The MoDem was formed only weeks before the June 2007 French legislative elections, which followed the presidential election, but managed to capture 7.6% of the vote (the third highest). Despite this satisfactory result, which was higher than the UDF share of the poll of 4.9% in the 2002 elections, Bayrou's party managed to win only four seats, one of which was Bayrou's own seat. This was largely due to the French two-round electoral system which favors the two largest parties. The other parliamentarians elected on the party's list were Jean Lasalle, Thierry Benoit (who since then has left the party, to join the New Centre) and Abdoulatifou Aly. The creation of the MoDem, led to the formal dismantling of the UDF alliance, on 30 November.
Endorsements
Governmental functions
Minister of National Education : 1993-1995.
Minister of National Education, Higher education and Research : 1995-1997.
Electoral mandates
European Parliament
Member of European Parliament
: 1999-2002 (Reelected member in the National Assembly of France in 2002)
National Assembly of France
Member of the National Assembly of France for Pyrénées-Atlantiques
: 1986-1993 (Became minister in 1993) / 1997-1999 (Became member of European Parliament
in 1999) / Since 2002.
Elected in 1986, reelected in 1988, 1993, 1997, 2002, 2007.
General Council
President of the General Council of Pyrénées-Atlantiques
: 1992-2001. Reelected in 1994, 1998.
General councillor of Pyrénées-Atlantiques
: 1982-2008. Reelected in 1988, 1994, 2001.
Municipal Council
Municipal councillor of Pau, Pyrénées-Atlantiques : 1983-1993 (Resignation) / Since 2008. Reelected in 1989, 2008.
Political functions
President of the Union for French Democracy
: 1998-2007.
President of the Democratic Movement (France)
: Since 2007.
(see DADVSI
). As French Presidential candidate he has described the EU as "the most beautiful construction of all humanity" (WSJ, 23 February 2007). He declared himself in favor of France taking a greater role in the European Union
's affairs. He supports the ratification of a European Constitution in a more concise and readable form than the one voted down by the French electorate in 2005.
When interviewed for a New York Times profile, Bayrou described himself, saying: "I am a democrat, I am a Clintonian, I am a man of the 'third way'." He positioned himself as a centrist, although he has historic ties to the right, which Royal and the left have tried to emphasize. His platform promotes job creation, improvement of educational standards, improved conditions in the troubled suburbs, reduced government spending, a balanced budget and a stronger European Union, with France as its de facto leader. He has also criticized China's protection of the Sudanese government against UN Security Council sanctions. In contrast to Sarkozy, Bayrou was highly critical of the American economic model under George Bush and of the unregulated free market in general. His criticism was that the United States had a "survival of the fittest" system where it was often stated that money was people's only motivation, where higher education was too expensive, and where the middle class was shrinking. Bayrou criticized the Iraq war, saying it was "the cause of chaos" in the region.
Among major French politicians Bayrou's general policy outlook is closer to Obama's than is that of Nicolas Sarkozy
or of the Socialists Martine Aubry
or Ségolène Royal
.
Most recently, he has criticized the foreign policy of Sarkozy, for inviting the Libyan leader Muammar Khaddafi on a week-long state visit to France and signing military cooperation agreements with Libya.
In 2009, he criticized statements of Pope Benedict XVI which claimed that condoms promote AIDS. Bayrou called the remarks "unacceptable," adding that "the primary responsibility, particularly of Christians, is the defense of life...This is a continent in which tens of millions of women and men are dying."
drew criticism at home and internationally. During a rally in Paris on 21 March he declared: "If this drama does not stop, France would do itself credit by not coming to the Olympic Games", criticising China's opposition to sanctions against Sudan over its involvement in the humanitarian crisis in Darfur
. France has never boycotted any Olympics so far.
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
, president of Union for French Democracy
Union for French Democracy
The Union for French Democracy was a French centrist political party. It was founded in 1978 as an electoral alliance to support President Valéry Giscard d'Estaing in order to counterbalance the Gaullist preponderance over the right. This name was chosen due to the title of Giscard d'Estaing's...
(UDF) since 1998 and was a candidate in the 2002
French presidential election, 2002
The 2002 French presidential election consisted of a first round election on 21 April 2002, and a runoff election between the top two candidates on 5 May 2002. This presidential contest attracted a greater than usual amount of international attention because of Le Pen's unexpected appearance in...
and 2007 French presidential elections
French presidential election, 2007
The 2007 French presidential election, the ninth of the Fifth French Republic was held to elect the successor to Jacques Chirac as president of France for a five-year term.The winner, decided on 5 and 6 May 2007, was Nicolas Sarkozy...
. In the first round, he received 18.6% of the vote, finishing in 3rd place and therefore was eliminated from the race. (Only the top two candidates participated in the runoff election, which was held on 6 May). A former Member of the European Parliament
Member of the European Parliament
A Member of the European Parliament is a person who has been elected to the European Parliament. The name of MEPs differ in different languages, with terms such as europarliamentarian or eurodeputy being common in Romance language-speaking areas.When the European Parliament was first established,...
, he also served as Minister of National Education in the conservative governments of Édouard Balladur
Édouard Balladur
Édouard Balladur is a French politician who served as Prime Minister of France from 29 March 1993 to 10 May 1995.-Biography:Balladur was born in İzmir, Turkey, to an Armenian Catholic family with five children and long-standing ties to France...
and Alain Juppé
Alain Juppé
Alain Marie Juppé is a French politician currently serving as the Minister of Foreign Affairs. He also served as Prime Minister of France from 1995 to 1997 under President Jacques Chirac and the Minister of Defence and Veterans Affairs from 2010 to 2011...
, from 1993 to 1997. On Wednesday 25 April 2007, he held a press conference to announce that he would not endorse either of the candidates in the run-off. He then transformed the UDF into a new political party called the Democratic Movement
Democratic Movement (France)
The Democratic Movement , MoDem) is a centrist, social liberal and pro-European French political party that was founded by centrist politician François Bayrou to succeed his Union for French Democracy and to contest the 2007 legislative election, after his strong showing in the 2007 presidential...
, which has become widely known in France as the "MoDem".
Early life
François Bayrou was born on 25 May 1951, in BordèresBordères
Bordères is a commune in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department in south-western France. It is the birthplace of French politician François Bayrou.-References:*...
, Pyrénées-Atlantiques
Pyrénées-Atlantiques
Pyrénées-Atlantiques is a department in the southwest of France which takes its name from the Pyrenees mountains and the Atlantic Ocean.- History :...
, a village located between Pau and Lourdes
Lourdes
Lourdes is a commune in the Hautes-Pyrénées department in the Midi-Pyrénées region in south-western France.Lourdes is a small market town lying in the foothills of the Pyrenees, famous for the Marian apparitions of Our Lady of Lourdes occurred in 1858 to Bernadette Soubirous...
. He is the eldest son of farmers Calixte Bayrou and Emma Sarthou. He first went to secondary school in Pay, then he transferred to Bordeaux.
François Bayrou has six children from his first and only marriage (his wife Élisabeth "Babette" was 19 years old at the time of marriage). As of early 2007, the family still lives on the farm in Bayrou's birthplace.
Bayrou studied literature at university, and at the age of 23, sat the "agrégation
Agrégation
In France, the agrégation is a civil service competitive examination for some positions in the public education system. The laureates are known as agrégés...
", the highest qualifying level for teachers in senior high schools and universities in France. His father was killed in a tractor accident at that time.
Prior to embarking on his political career, Bayrou taught history in Béarn
Béarn
Béarn is one of the traditional provinces of France, located in the Pyrenees mountains and in the plain at their feet, in southwest France. Along with the three Basque provinces of Soule, Lower Navarre, and Labourd, the principality of Bidache, as well as small parts of Gascony, it forms in the...
in the French Pyrenees
Pyrenees
The Pyrenees is a range of mountains in southwest Europe that forms a natural border between France and Spain...
. He is the author of over a dozen books on politics and history, including one on King Henry IV of France
Henry IV of France
Henry IV , Henri-Quatre, was King of France from 1589 to 1610 and King of Navarre from 1572 to 1610. He was the first monarch of the Bourbon branch of the Capetian dynasty in France....
. François Bayrou's hobby is raising horse
Horse
The horse is one of two extant subspecies of Equus ferus, or the wild horse. It is a single-hooved mammal belonging to the taxonomic family Equidae. The horse has evolved over the past 45 to 55 million years from a small multi-toed creature into the large, single-toed animal of today...
s. A practising Roman Catholic, he is though a fervent supporter of France's system of laïcité
Laïcité
French secularism, in French, laïcité is a concept denoting the absence of religious involvement in government affairs as well as absence of government involvement in religious affairs. French secularism has a long history but the current regime is based on the 1905 French law on the Separation of...
.
Political career
In 2002 François Bayrou rejected the call to merge the UDF party that he presided into a new entity with the Rally for the RepublicRally for the Republic
The Rally for the Republic , was a French right-wing political party. Originating from the Union of Democrats for the Republic , it was founded by Jacques Chirac in 1976 and presented itself as the heir of Gaullism...
(RPR) that would subsequently be named the Union for a Popular Movement
Union for a Popular Movement
The Union for a Popular Movement is a centre-right political party in France, and one of the two major contemporary political parties in the country along with the center-left Socialist Party...
(UMP). As a consequence, many members of the UDF left for the UMP, while the remainder stayed with Bayrou inside the UDF.
However, until the election of Nicolas Sarkozy, UMP governments under Prime Minister
Prime Minister of France
The Prime Minister of France in the Fifth Republic is the head of government and of the Council of Ministers of France. The head of state is the President of the French Republic...
s Jean-Pierre Raffarin
Jean-Pierre Raffarin
Jean-Pierre Raffarin is a French conservative politician and senator for Vienne.Jean-Pierre Raffarin served as the Prime Minister of France from 6 May 2002 to 31 May 2005, resigning after France's rejection of the referendum on the European Union draft constitution. However, after Raffarin...
and Dominique de Villepin
Dominique de Villepin
Dominique Marie François René Galouzeau de Villepin is a French politician who served as the Prime Minister of France from 31 May 2005 to 17 May 2007....
had always included one UDF minister, Gilles de Robien
Gilles de Robien
Count Gilles de Robien is a French politician. He is the son of count Jean de Robien and of Éliane Le Mesre de Pas. The Robien are a noble family originating from Brittany....
, an opponent of Bayrou.
François Bayrou has been increasingly critical of the course taken by the UMP-led government, which he deems to be out of touch with the average Frenchman. He denounces the de facto
De facto
De facto is a Latin expression that means "concerning fact." In law, it often means "in practice but not necessarily ordained by law" or "in practice or actuality, but not officially established." It is commonly used in contrast to de jure when referring to matters of law, governance, or...
two-party system
Two-party system
A two-party system is a system where two major political parties dominate voting in nearly all elections at every level of government and, as a result, all or nearly all elected offices are members of one of the two major parties...
, in which the Socialist Party and the RPR (later UMP) have alternated. When in the majority the parliamentarians of both of these parties vote, nearly without question, for the laws proposed by the executive. Instead François Bayrou advocates a system where other voices can be heard.
This position, though popular with UDF (now Modem) party activists, was not necessarily well received by other UDF politicians before 2007. For instance, the last UDF minister, Gilles de Robien
Gilles de Robien
Count Gilles de Robien is a French politician. He is the son of count Jean de Robien and of Éliane Le Mesre de Pas. The Robien are a noble family originating from Brittany....
, favored closer alignment with the UMP.
On 16 May 2006, François Bayrou voted for a motion of no confidence
Motion of no confidence
A motion of no confidence is a parliamentary motion whose passing would demonstrate to the head of state that the elected parliament no longer has confidence in the appointed government.-Overview:Typically, when a parliament passes a vote of no...
sponsored by Socialist deputies calling for the resignation of Prime Minister
Prime Minister of France
The Prime Minister of France in the Fifth Republic is the head of government and of the Council of Ministers of France. The head of state is the President of the French Republic...
Dominique de Villepin
Dominique de Villepin
Dominique Marie François René Galouzeau de Villepin is a French politician who served as the Prime Minister of France from 31 May 2005 to 17 May 2007....
's government following the Clearstream affair
Clearstream affair
The "Clearstream affair" was a political scandal in France in the run-up to the 2007 presidential election.The name refers to the Luxembourg bank Clearstream Banking S.A., now wholly owned by Deutsche Börse, which was alleged to have aided many prominent French politicians and companies evade taxes...
. (As de Villepin's UMP had an absolute majority in the National Assembly, the motion failed.) Following Bayrou's support for this measure, France's television authority classified him as a member of the parliamentary opposition for timing purposes; however, after Bayrou protested, he was classified as a member of neither the majority nor the opposition.
In 2007, Bayrou contested the presidency once again. The possibility of a Bayrou presidency took the French establishment by surprise. It had been expecting the battle to be fought primarily between Sarkozy and Ségolène Royal
Ségolène Royal
Marie-Ségolène Royal , known as Ségolène Royal, is a French politician. She is the president of the Poitou-Charentes Regional Council, a former member of the National Assembly, a former government minister, and a prominent member of the French Socialist Party...
of the Parti Socialiste
Socialist Party (France)
The Socialist Party is a social-democratic political party in France and the largest party of the French centre-left. It is one of the two major contemporary political parties in France, along with the center-right Union for a Popular Movement...
, both very personable and media-friendly. The rise of Bayrou's poll numbers in February, however, complicated this "Sarko-Ségo" scenario, and raised the distinct possibility that the Parti Socialiste candidate would be excluded from the second round for a second straight election cycle, following the humiliating defeat of former Prime Minister Lionel Jospin
Lionel Jospin
Lionel Jospin is a French politician, who served as Prime Minister of France from 1997 to 2002.Jospin was the Socialist Party candidate for President of France in the elections of 1995 and 2002. He was narrowly defeated in the final runoff election by Jacques Chirac in 1995...
in 2002 at the hands of right wing nationalist Jean Marie Le Pen. Ultimately, Bayrou was unsuccessful in his attempt to make it into the second round of the election, but he won 18.57% of the vote (6,820,119 votes) and came in a clear third behind the front-runners Nicolas Sarkozy
Nicolas Sarkozy
Nicolas Sarkozy is the 23rd and current President of the French Republic and ex officio Co-Prince of Andorra. He assumed the office on 16 May 2007 after defeating the Socialist Party candidate Ségolène Royal 10 days earlier....
of the UMP party and Royal of the Parti Socialiste. This was the best performance by the UDF in a Presidential election since 1981. Following the first round, Bayrou declared that he could not endorse either Sarkozy or Royal in the second round, although he did indicate that Sarkozy was the worst of the two choices on offer.
Following his loss, Bayrou announced his intention of forming a new centrist party, the Democratic Movement
Democratic Movement (France)
The Democratic Movement , MoDem) is a centrist, social liberal and pro-European French political party that was founded by centrist politician François Bayrou to succeed his Union for French Democracy and to contest the 2007 legislative election, after his strong showing in the 2007 presidential...
(MoDem). Only a handful of UDF politicians followed Bayrou; the majority opposed him and set up a rival party the New Centre
New Centre
New Centre , also known as the European Social Liberal Party is a centre-right political party in France, formed by the members of the Union for French Democracy – including a majority of former parliamentarians – who did not agree with François Bayrou's...
party which pledged to support the alliance with the UMP. Most of the UDF's grassroots membership however, have remained with Bayrou. The MoDem was formed only weeks before the June 2007 French legislative elections, which followed the presidential election, but managed to capture 7.6% of the vote (the third highest). Despite this satisfactory result, which was higher than the UDF share of the poll of 4.9% in the 2002 elections, Bayrou's party managed to win only four seats, one of which was Bayrou's own seat. This was largely due to the French two-round electoral system which favors the two largest parties. The other parliamentarians elected on the party's list were Jean Lasalle, Thierry Benoit (who since then has left the party, to join the New Centre) and Abdoulatifou Aly. The creation of the MoDem, led to the formal dismantling of the UDF alliance, on 30 November.
Endorsements
- Azouz BegagAzouz BegagAzouz Begag, is a French writer, politician and researcher in economics and sociology at the CNRS. He was the delegate minister for equal opportunities of France in the government of French Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin till 5 April 2007...
, delegate minister of equal opportunities in prime ministerPrime Minister of FranceThe Prime Minister of France in the Fifth Republic is the head of government and of the Council of Ministers of France. The head of state is the President of the French Republic...
Dominique de VillepinDominique de VillepinDominique Marie François René Galouzeau de Villepin is a French politician who served as the Prime Minister of France from 31 May 2005 to 17 May 2007....
's cabinetFrench government ministersThe Cabinet of France is a body of top administration members of the Prime Minister's Cabinet. In French, the word gouvernement generally refers to the "Administration", but in a narrower sense to the Cabinet.The Council is responsible to the French National Assembly...
. - Édouard FilliasÉdouard FilliasÉdouard Fillias is a French classical-liberal activist of Spanish origin.Born in Paris, Île-de-France, France, Fillias was president of Liberal Alternative and that party's 2007 French Presidential candidate. On 13 March 2007 he withdrew and announced his support for François Bayrou...
, former presidential candidate for Liberal AlternativeLiberal AlternativeThe Liberal Alternative is a French political party created on March 1, 2006. They advocate classical liberalism against socialism or conservatism...
. - Corinne LepageCorinne LepageCorinne Dominique Marguerite Lepage, also known as Corinne Lepage is a French politician and Member of the European Parliament elected in the 2009 European election for the North-West constituency....
, president of Citizenship, Action, Participation for the XXIst CenturyCitizenship, Action, Participation for the XXIst CenturyThe Citizenship, Action, Participation for the 21st Century is a minor green liberal political party in France, founded by Corinne Lepage in 1996 as a political reflection club....
(CAP 21), a little environmentalist political party. - Jean-Luc BennahmiasJean-Luc BennahmiasJean-Luc Bennahmias is a French politician and Member of the European Parliament for the south-east of France. He is a member of the Democratic Movement , and sits on the European Parliament's Committee on Employment and Social Affairs.He is also a substitute for the Committee on Culture and...
, Former National Secretary of the French Green Party.
Governmental functions
Minister of National Education : 1993-1995.
Minister of National Education, Higher education and Research : 1995-1997.
Electoral mandates
European Parliament
Member of European Parliament
European Parliament
The European Parliament is the directly elected parliamentary institution of the European Union . Together with the Council of the European Union and the Commission, it exercises the legislative function of the EU and it has been described as one of the most powerful legislatures in the world...
: 1999-2002 (Reelected member in the National Assembly of France in 2002)
National Assembly of France
Member of the National Assembly of France for Pyrénées-Atlantiques
Pyrénées-Atlantiques
Pyrénées-Atlantiques is a department in the southwest of France which takes its name from the Pyrenees mountains and the Atlantic Ocean.- History :...
: 1986-1993 (Became minister in 1993) / 1997-1999 (Became member of European Parliament
European Parliament
The European Parliament is the directly elected parliamentary institution of the European Union . Together with the Council of the European Union and the Commission, it exercises the legislative function of the EU and it has been described as one of the most powerful legislatures in the world...
in 1999) / Since 2002.
Elected in 1986, reelected in 1988, 1993, 1997, 2002, 2007.
General Council
President of the General Council of Pyrénées-Atlantiques
Pyrénées-Atlantiques
Pyrénées-Atlantiques is a department in the southwest of France which takes its name from the Pyrenees mountains and the Atlantic Ocean.- History :...
: 1992-2001. Reelected in 1994, 1998.
General councillor of Pyrénées-Atlantiques
Pyrénées-Atlantiques
Pyrénées-Atlantiques is a department in the southwest of France which takes its name from the Pyrenees mountains and the Atlantic Ocean.- History :...
: 1982-2008. Reelected in 1988, 1994, 2001.
Municipal Council
Municipal councillor of Pau, Pyrénées-Atlantiques : 1983-1993 (Resignation) / Since 2008. Reelected in 1989, 2008.
Political functions
President of the Union for French Democracy
Union for French Democracy
The Union for French Democracy was a French centrist political party. It was founded in 1978 as an electoral alliance to support President Valéry Giscard d'Estaing in order to counterbalance the Gaullist preponderance over the right. This name was chosen due to the title of Giscard d'Estaing's...
: 1998-2007.
President of the Democratic Movement (France)
Democratic Movement (France)
The Democratic Movement , MoDem) is a centrist, social liberal and pro-European French political party that was founded by centrist politician François Bayrou to succeed his Union for French Democracy and to contest the 2007 legislative election, after his strong showing in the 2007 presidential...
: Since 2007.
Political views
François Bayrou has taken a strong stand on a variety of issues, including efforts to safeguard the credibility of the political process, personal freedom, and free softwareFree software
Free software, software libre or libre software is software that can be used, studied, and modified without restriction, and which can be copied and redistributed in modified or unmodified form either without restriction, or with restrictions that only ensure that further recipients can also do...
(see DADVSI
DADVSI
DADVSI is the abbreviation of the French Loi sur le Droit d’Auteur et les Droits Voisins dans la Société de l’Information...
). As French Presidential candidate he has described the EU as "the most beautiful construction of all humanity" (WSJ, 23 February 2007). He declared himself in favor of France taking a greater role in the European Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
's affairs. He supports the ratification of a European Constitution in a more concise and readable form than the one voted down by the French electorate in 2005.
When interviewed for a New York Times profile, Bayrou described himself, saying: "I am a democrat, I am a Clintonian, I am a man of the 'third way'." He positioned himself as a centrist, although he has historic ties to the right, which Royal and the left have tried to emphasize. His platform promotes job creation, improvement of educational standards, improved conditions in the troubled suburbs, reduced government spending, a balanced budget and a stronger European Union, with France as its de facto leader. He has also criticized China's protection of the Sudanese government against UN Security Council sanctions. In contrast to Sarkozy, Bayrou was highly critical of the American economic model under George Bush and of the unregulated free market in general. His criticism was that the United States had a "survival of the fittest" system where it was often stated that money was people's only motivation, where higher education was too expensive, and where the middle class was shrinking. Bayrou criticized the Iraq war, saying it was "the cause of chaos" in the region.
Among major French politicians Bayrou's general policy outlook is closer to Obama's than is that of Nicolas Sarkozy
Nicolas Sarkozy
Nicolas Sarkozy is the 23rd and current President of the French Republic and ex officio Co-Prince of Andorra. He assumed the office on 16 May 2007 after defeating the Socialist Party candidate Ségolène Royal 10 days earlier....
or of the Socialists Martine Aubry
Martine Aubry
Martine Aubry is a French politician. She has been the First Secretary of the French Socialist Party since November 2008 and Mayor of Lille since March 2001...
or Ségolène Royal
Ségolène Royal
Marie-Ségolène Royal , known as Ségolène Royal, is a French politician. She is the president of the Poitou-Charentes Regional Council, a former member of the National Assembly, a former government minister, and a prominent member of the French Socialist Party...
.
Most recently, he has criticized the foreign policy of Sarkozy, for inviting the Libyan leader Muammar Khaddafi on a week-long state visit to France and signing military cooperation agreements with Libya.
In 2009, he criticized statements of Pope Benedict XVI which claimed that condoms promote AIDS. Bayrou called the remarks "unacceptable," adding that "the primary responsibility, particularly of Christians, is the defense of life...This is a continent in which tens of millions of women and men are dying."
2008 Summer Olympics Comment
His call for France to boycott the 2008 Summer Olympics2008 Summer Olympics
The 2008 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, was a major international multi-sport event that took place in Beijing, China, from August 8 to August 24, 2008. A total of 11,028 athletes from 204 National Olympic Committees competed in 28 sports and 302 events...
drew criticism at home and internationally. During a rally in Paris on 21 March he declared: "If this drama does not stop, France would do itself credit by not coming to the Olympic Games", criticising China's opposition to sanctions against Sudan over its involvement in the humanitarian crisis in Darfur
Darfur
Darfur is a region in western Sudan. An independent sultanate for several hundred years, it was incorporated into Sudan by Anglo-Egyptian forces in 1916. The region is divided into three federal states: West Darfur, South Darfur, and North Darfur...
. France has never boycotted any Olympics so far.