Jacques Barrot (3 February 1937 – 3 December 2014) was a French politician, who served as

European Commission The European Commission (EC) is the executive of the European Union (EU). It operates as a cabinet government, with 27 members of the Commission (informally known as "Commissioners") headed by a President. It includes an administrative body ...

er for

Justice Justice, in its broadest sense, is the principle that people receive that which they deserve, with the interpretation of what then constitutes "deserving" being impacted upon by numerous fields, with many differing viewpoints and perspective ...

between 2008 and 2010, after having spent four years serving as Commissioner for Transport (2004–2008) and Commissioner for Regional Policy for eight months (2004). He was also one of five vice-presidents of the 27-member

Barroso Commission The Barroso Commission was the European Commission in office from 22 November 2004 until 31 October 2014. Its president was José Manuel Barroso, who presided over 27 other commissioners (one from each of the states composing the European Un ...

. He previously held various ministerial positions in France, and was a member of the right-wing political party UMP. He was officially approved in his post by the

European Parliament The European Parliament (EP) is one of the Legislature, legislative bodies of the European Union and one of its seven Institutions of the European Union, institutions. Together with the Council of the European Union (known as the Council and in ...

on 18 June 2008 with a vote of 489 to 52 with 19 abstentions. Barrot was a European Commissioner between April 2004 and, serving as Commissioner for Regional Policy in the

Prodi Commission The Prodi Commission was the European Commission in office between 1999 and 2004. The administration was led by former Italian Prime Minister Romano Prodi. History The commission took office on 16 September 1999 following the scandal and subs ...

before being selected as a Vice-President and Commissioner for Transport in the

. He was convicted in a French court of embezzlement in 2000. The case involved the diverting of £2 million of government money to his party. He received an eight-month suspended prison sentence. His conviction was automatically erased by a 1995 presidential amnesty. Barrot was approved by the

in 2004 for Commissioner of Transport and made a

Vice-President A vice president, also director in British English, is an officer in government or business who is below the president (chief executive officer) in rank. It can also refer to executive vice presidents, signifying that the vice president is on ...

in the new

. However shortly after he began work, his previous conviction was revealed by Nigel Farage, MEP for

Independence and Democracy Independence/Democracy (IND/DEM) was a Eurosceptic political group active during the 2004–2009 term of the European Parliament. The group was the successor to the Europe of Democracies and Diversities (EDD) group. The group collapsed followi ...

. French President

Jacques Chirac Jacques René Chirac (, , ; 29 November 193226 September 2019) was a Politics of France, French politician who served as President of France from 1995 to 2007. Chirac was previously Prime Minister of France from 1974 to 1976 and from 1986 to ...

had granted him presidential amnesty, a fact the Commissioner did not disclose during his hearing to the Parliament. Despite calls from some MEPs for him to be suspended he remained in office after a large majority accepted legal opinion that Barrot was not legally required to disclose the amnesty. A major project during his term was the Galileo positioning system. Work on the system began a year before Barrot came to office and has developed since with the launch of the first satellite. However infighting within private sector partners may have been a potential setback to the project with Barrot favouring greater funds from the EU budget. Other work includes recent guarantees of air passenger rights and the Single European Sky. Barrot died on 3 December 2014 in

Neuilly-sur-Seine Neuilly-sur-Seine (; literally 'Neuilly on Seine'), also known simply as Neuilly, is a commune in the department of Hauts-de-Seine in France, just west of Paris. Immediately adjacent to the city, the area is composed of mostly select residentia ...

at the age of 77.

Political career

*Member of the

Constitutional Council of France The Constitutional Council (french: Conseil constitutionnel; ) is the highest constitutional authority in France. It was established by the Constitution of the Fifth Republic on 4 October 1958 to ensure that constitutional principles and rules ...

: Since 2010. *Vice-President of the

: November 2004 – 2010. *

European Commissioner A European Commissioner is a member of the 27-member European Commission. Each member within the Commission holds a specific portfolio. The commission is led by the President of the European Commission. In simple terms they are the equivalent ...

for Justice and Home Affairs : 2008–2010. *

for Transports : 2004–2008. *

for Regional Policy : March–November 2004. Governmental functions *Secretary of State for Housing : 1974–1978. *Minister of Trade and Handicrafts : 1978–1979. *Minister of Health and Social Security : 1979–1981. *Minister of Labor, Social Dialogue and Participation : May–November 1995. *Minister of Labor and Social Affairs : 1995–1997. Electoral mandates ''National Assembly of France'' *President of the group of

Union for a Popular Movement The Union for a Popular Movement (french: link=no, Union pour un mouvement populaire, ; UMP, ) was a centre-right political party in France that was one of the two major contemporary political parties in France along with the centre-left Soci ...

: 2002–2004 (Resignation). *Member of the

National Assembly of France The National Assembly (french: link=no, italics=set, Assemblée nationale; ) is the lower house of the bicameral French Parliament under the Fifth Republic, the upper house being the Senate (). The National Assembly's legislators are know ...

for

Haute-Loire's 1st constituency The 1st constituency of Haute-Loire is a French legislative constituency in Haute-Loire Haute-Loire (; oc, Naut Léger or ''Naut Leir''; English: Upper Loire) is a landlocked department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region of south-central Fr ...

: 1967–1974 (Became Secretary of State in 1974) / 1981–1995 (Became minister in 1995) / 1997–2004 (Resignation, became member of the

in 2004). Elected in 1967, re-elected in 1968, 1973, 1978, 1981, 1986, 1988, 1993, 1997, 2002. ''General Council'' *President of the

Haute-Loire Haute-Loire (; oc, Naut Léger or ''Naut Leir''; English: Upper Loire) is a landlocked department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region of south-central France. Named after the Loire River, it is surrounded by the departments of Loire, Ardèche, ...

General Council : 1976–2001. Re-elected in 1979, 1982, 1985, 1988, 1992, 1994, 1998. *General councillor of

: 1966–2008. Re-elected in 1970, 1976, 1982, 1988, 1994, 2001. ''Municipal Council'' *Mayor of

Yssingeaux Yssingeaux (; ) is a commune and subprefecture in the Haute-Loire department in south-central France. It is situated between Le Puy-en-Velay and Firminy. Geography The river Lignon du Velay flows through the commune. Population See also * ...

: 1989–2001. Re-elected in 1995. *Deputy-mayor of

: 1971–1989. Re-elected in 1977, 1983. *Municipal councillor of

: 1965–2001. Re-elected in 1971, 1977, 1983, 1989, 1995.

References

External links

Official website
, - , - , - , - , - {{DEFAULTSORT:Barrot, Jacques 1937 births 2014 deaths Centre Democracy and Progress politicians Centre of Social Democrats politicians 20th-century French criminals French European Commissioners French Ministers of Commerce and Industry French Ministers of Health French politicians convicted of crimes Politicians convicted of embezzlement People from Haute-Loire Politicians from Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Recipients of French presidential pardons Transport and the European Union Union for a Popular Movement politicians Union for French Democracy politicians Officiers of the Légion d'honneur Sciences Po alumni Deputies of the 12th National Assembly of the French Fifth Republic