Xavier Darcos
Encyclopedia
Xavier Darcos is a French politician
, scholar and civil servant
currently serving as Minister of Labour.
An agrégé professor
in literature and general inspector of the National Education system
, he has been Mayor of Périgueux
, a Senator, and a junior minister in Jean-Pierre Raffarin
's governments.
to Jean-Gabriel Darcos and Anne-Marie Banvillet.
After getting a PhD in Latin studies from the University of Bordeaux
and becoming a professor emeritus in letters and social sciences, he started teaching in 1968, first in Périgueux
, then in a Bordeaux khâgne
from 1982 to 1987, and finally at the lycée Louis-le-Grand
, Paris from 1987 to 1992.
In 1989 he became deputy to the Mayor of Périgueux
. Three years later, he became a senior school inspector.
From 1993 to 1995 he was the chief of staff (directeur de cabinet) to Education Minister François Bayrou
, from 1995 to 1997 advisor to Prime Minister Alain Juppé
for education and culture matters, and from 1995 to 1998, along with François Bayroux and Claude Allègre
, he was the president of school inspectors. From 1996 to 1999 he was also a Professor in comparative literature
at the Paris IV University.
In 1997 he became Mayor of Périgueux
, and was reelected both in 2001 and 2005. He was also elected Senator of Dordogne
in 1998.
In May 2002, he became Minister for School Education in Jean-Pierre Raffarin
's cabinet, then on 1 April 2004 Minister for Cooperation, Development and Francophony.
He has been a member of the Aquitaine
Regional Council since 2004. On 15 June 2005 he became a French ambassador for the OCDE
.
Since 18 May 2007, he has been the Minister of National Education
in François Fillon
’s gouvernments. In March 2008, he failed to be reelected as Mayor of Périgueux.
In 2009, he condemned as "criminal" statements made by Pope Benedict XVI which claimed that condoms promote AIDS, when in fact they help protect against it.
Minister of Labor, Social Affairs, Family, and Solidarity : 2009–2010.
Minister of National Education : 2007–2009.
Minister of School Education : 2002–2004.
Minister of Development, Cooperation and Francophony : 2004–2005.
Electoral mandates
Senate of France
Senator of Dordogne
: 1998–2002 (Became minister in 2002).
Regional Council
Regional councillor of Aquitaine
: Since 2004. Reelected in 2010.
Municipal Council
Mayor of Périgueux
: 1997–2002 (Resignation) / 2005–2008. Reelected in 2001, 2005.
Deputy-mayor of Périgueux
: 1989–1997 / 2002–2005. Reelected in 1995.
Municipal councillor of Périgueux : 1989–2008. Reelected in 1995, 2001.
Agglomeration community Council
President of the Agglomeration community of Périgueux
: 2000–2001.
Member of the Agglomeration community of Périgueux
: 2000–2001.
Politics of France
France is a semi-presidential representative democratic republic, in which the President of France is head of state and the Prime Minister of France is the head of government, and there is a pluriform, multi-party system. Executive power is exercised by the government. Legislative power is...
, scholar and civil servant
French Civil Service
The French Civil Service is the set of civil servants working for the French government.Not all employees of the state and public institutions or corporations are civil servants; however, the media often incorrectly equate "government employee" or "employee of a public corporation" with...
currently serving as Minister of Labour.
An agrégé professor
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...
in literature and general inspector of the National Education system
Education in France
The French educational system is highly centralized, organized, and ramified. It is divided into three different stages:* the primary education ;* secondary education ;...
, he has been Mayor of Périgueux
Périgueux
Périgueux is a commune in the Dordogne department in Aquitaine in southwestern France.Périgueux is the prefecture of the department and the capital of the region...
, a Senator, and a junior minister in 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...
's governments.
Biography
Darcos was born on 14 July 1947 in LimogesLimoges
Limoges |Limousin]] dialect of Occitan) is a city and commune, the capital of the Haute-Vienne department and the administrative capital of the Limousin région in west-central France....
to Jean-Gabriel Darcos and Anne-Marie Banvillet.
After getting a PhD in Latin studies from the University of Bordeaux
Bordeaux
Bordeaux is a port city on the Garonne River in the Gironde department in southwestern France.The Bordeaux-Arcachon-Libourne metropolitan area, has a population of 1,010,000 and constitutes the sixth-largest urban area in France. It is the capital of the Aquitaine region, as well as the prefecture...
and becoming a professor emeritus in letters and social sciences, he started teaching in 1968, first in Périgueux
Périgueux
Périgueux is a commune in the Dordogne department in Aquitaine in southwestern France.Périgueux is the prefecture of the department and the capital of the region...
, then in a Bordeaux khâgne
Khâgne
The literary and humanities CPGE constitutes a type classe prépa, the two-year cycle of classes taken after the baccalauréat...
from 1982 to 1987, and finally at the lycée Louis-le-Grand
Lycée Louis-le-Grand
The Lycée Louis-le-Grand is a public secondary school located in Paris, widely regarded as one of the most rigorous in France. Formerly known as the Collège de Clermont, it was named in king Louis XIV of France's honor after he visited the school and offered his patronage.It offers both a...
, Paris from 1987 to 1992.
In 1989 he became deputy to the Mayor of Périgueux
Périgueux
Périgueux is a commune in the Dordogne department in Aquitaine in southwestern France.Périgueux is the prefecture of the department and the capital of the region...
. Three years later, he became a senior school inspector.
From 1993 to 1995 he was the chief of staff (directeur de cabinet) to Education Minister François Bayrou
François Bayrou
François Bayrou is a French centrist politician, president of Union for French Democracy 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....
, from 1995 to 1997 advisor to Prime Minister 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...
for education and culture matters, and from 1995 to 1998, along with François Bayroux and Claude Allègre
Claude Allègre
Claude Allègre is a French politician and scientist.- Scientific work :The main scientific area of Claude Allègre is geochemistry....
, he was the president of school inspectors. From 1996 to 1999 he was also a Professor in comparative literature
Comparative literature
Comparative literature is an academic field dealing with the literature of two or more different linguistic, cultural or national groups...
at the Paris IV University.
In 1997 he became Mayor of Périgueux
Périgueux
Périgueux is a commune in the Dordogne department in Aquitaine in southwestern France.Périgueux is the prefecture of the department and the capital of the region...
, and was reelected both in 2001 and 2005. He was also elected Senator of Dordogne
Dordogne
Dordogne is a départment in south-west France. The départment is located in the region of Aquitaine, between the Loire valley and the High Pyrénées named after the great river Dordogne that runs through it...
in 1998.
In May 2002, he became Minister for School Education in 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...
's cabinet, then on 1 April 2004 Minister for Cooperation, Development and Francophony.
He has been a member of the Aquitaine
Aquitaine
Aquitaine , archaic Guyenne/Guienne , is one of the 27 regions of France, in the south-western part of metropolitan France, along the Atlantic Ocean and the Pyrenees mountain range on the border with Spain. It comprises the 5 departments of Dordogne, :Lot et Garonne, :Pyrénées-Atlantiques, Landes...
Regional Council since 2004. On 15 June 2005 he became a French ambassador for the OCDE
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development
The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development is an international economic organisation of 34 countries founded in 1961 to stimulate economic progress and world trade...
.
Since 18 May 2007, he has been the Minister of National Education
Minister of National Education (France)
The Ministry of National Education, Youth, and Sport , or simply "Minister of National Education," as the title has changed no small number of times in the course of the Fifth Republic) is the French government cabinet member charged with running France's public educational system and with the...
in François Fillon
François Fillon
François Charles Armand Fillon is the Prime Minister of France. He was appointed to that office by President Nicolas Sarkozy on 17 May 2007. He served initially until 13 November 2010 when he resigned from being prime minister before a planned cabinet reshuffle.On 14 November 2010, Sarkozy...
’s gouvernments. In March 2008, he failed to be reelected as Mayor of Périgueux.
In 2009, he condemned as "criminal" statements made by Pope Benedict XVI which claimed that condoms promote AIDS, when in fact they help protect against it.
Political career
Governmental functionsMinister of Labor, Social Affairs, Family, and Solidarity : 2009–2010.
Minister of National Education : 2007–2009.
Minister of School Education : 2002–2004.
Minister of Development, Cooperation and Francophony : 2004–2005.
Electoral mandates
Senate of France
Senator of Dordogne
Dordogne
Dordogne is a départment in south-west France. The départment is located in the region of Aquitaine, between the Loire valley and the High Pyrénées named after the great river Dordogne that runs through it...
: 1998–2002 (Became minister in 2002).
Regional Council
Regional councillor of Aquitaine
Aquitaine
Aquitaine , archaic Guyenne/Guienne , is one of the 27 regions of France, in the south-western part of metropolitan France, along the Atlantic Ocean and the Pyrenees mountain range on the border with Spain. It comprises the 5 departments of Dordogne, :Lot et Garonne, :Pyrénées-Atlantiques, Landes...
: Since 2004. Reelected in 2010.
Municipal Council
Mayor of Périgueux
Périgueux
Périgueux is a commune in the Dordogne department in Aquitaine in southwestern France.Périgueux is the prefecture of the department and the capital of the region...
: 1997–2002 (Resignation) / 2005–2008. Reelected in 2001, 2005.
Deputy-mayor of Périgueux
Périgueux
Périgueux is a commune in the Dordogne department in Aquitaine in southwestern France.Périgueux is the prefecture of the department and the capital of the region...
: 1989–1997 / 2002–2005. Reelected in 1995.
Municipal councillor of Périgueux : 1989–2008. Reelected in 1995, 2001.
Agglomeration community Council
President of the Agglomeration community of Périgueux
Périgueux
Périgueux is a commune in the Dordogne department in Aquitaine in southwestern France.Périgueux is the prefecture of the department and the capital of the region...
: 2000–2001.
Member of the Agglomeration community of Périgueux
Périgueux
Périgueux is a commune in the Dordogne department in Aquitaine in southwestern France.Périgueux is the prefecture of the department and the capital of the region...
: 2000–2001.
Awards and honours
- Xavier Darcos entered the Academy of Moral and Political Sciences in 2006.