Jean-Marie Bockel (born 22 June 1950) is a French politician who served as Secretary of State for Defence and Veterans in the government of Prime Minister

François Fillon François Charles Armand Fillon (; born 4 March 1954) is a retired French politician who served as Prime Minister of France from 2007 to 2012 under President Nicolas Sarkozy. He was the nominee of the Republicans (previously known as the Union ...

appointed on 18 March 2008, having previously been Secretary of State for Cooperation and La Francophonie since June 2007. He has been a member of the French National Assembly since 1981, when he stood as a Socialist Party candidate, and was Minister for Commerce in the Socialist Party government of

Laurent Fabius Laurent Fabius (; born 20 August 1946) is a French politician serving as President of the Constitutional Council since 8 March 2016. A member of the Socialist Party, he previously served as Prime Minister of France from 17 July 1984 to 20 Mar ...

between 1984 and 1986. Bockel (commonly referred to as "JMB" in France) was born in Strasbourg. He is a lawyer and has been mayor of

Mulhouse Mulhouse (; Alsatian: or , ; ; meaning '' mill house'') is a city of the Haut-Rhin department, in the Grand Est region, eastern France, close to the Swiss and German borders. It is the largest city in Haut-Rhin and second largest in Alsace a ...

since 1989. On the right wing of the Socialist Party, he declared himself to be an admirer and strong supporter of the policies of

Tony Blair Sir Anthony Charles Lynton Blair (born 6 May 1953) is a British former politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1997 to 2007 and Leader of the Labour Party from 1994 to 2007. He previously served as Leader of th ...

. In November 2007 he announced the formation of a new centre-left political party,

Modern Left The Modern Left (french: La Gauche moderne, LGM), is a centrist political party in France founded in 2007. The party was founded following the nomination of the former Socialist Party (PS) Senator and Mayor of Mulhouse, Jean-Marie Bockel to the ...

(''Gauche Moderne''), following his resignation from the Socialist Party when joining the Sarkozy administration, and used this party as a vehicle to campaign in the municipal elections of 2008 for a fourth term as mayor. Pierre-Emmanuel, one of his five sons, died in a helicopter crash in

Mali Mali (; ), officially the Republic of Mali,, , ff, 𞤈𞤫𞤲𞥆𞤣𞤢𞥄𞤲𞤣𞤭 𞤃𞤢𞥄𞤤𞤭, Renndaandi Maali, italics=no, ar, جمهورية مالي, Jumhūriyyāt Mālī is a landlocked country in West Africa. Mal ...

on 25 November 2019.

Political career

Governmental functions Secretary of State for Prisons and Prison Reform : 2009–2010. Secretary of State for Defense and Veterans : 2008–2009. Secretary of State for Cooperation and Francophony : 2007–2008. Minister of Commerce, Handicrafts and Tourism : February–March 1986. State Secretary to the Minister of Commerce, Handicrafts and Tourism : 1984–1986. Electoral mandates ''National Assembly of France'' Member of the National Assembly of France for Haut-Rhin : 1981–1984 (Became secretary of State in 1984) / 1986–1993 / 1997–2002. Elected in 1981, reelected in 1986, 1988, 1997. ''Senate of France'' Senator of Haut-Rhin : 2004–2007 (Became secretary of State in 2007). Elected in 2004. Reelected in 2008, but he stays minister. ''General Council'' General councillor of Haut-Rhin : 1982–1989 (Resignation) / 1994–1997 (Resignation). Reelected in 1988, 1994. ''Municipal Council'' Mayor of

: 1989–2010 (Resignation). Reelected in 1995, 2001, 2008. Municipal councillor of

: Since 1989. Reelected in 1995, 2001, 2008. ''Agglomeration community Council'' President of the Agglomeration community of Mulhouse Sud Alsace : Since 2001. Reelected in 2008. Member of the Agglomeration community of Mulhouse Sud Alsace : Since 2001. Reelected in 2008.

References

External links

Official website of Modern Left

Biography (in French) on the official Prime-Ministerial web site
1950 births Living people Politicians from Strasbourg French people of German descent Socialist Party (France) politicians Modern Left politicians Union of Democrats and Independents politicians Radical Movement politicians French Ministers of Commerce and Industry Deputies of the 7th National Assembly of the French Fifth Republic Deputies of the 8th National Assembly of the French Fifth Republic Deputies of the 9th National Assembly of the French Fifth Republic Deputies of the 11th National Assembly of the French Fifth Republic French Senators of the Fifth Republic Senators of Haut-Rhin {{France-politician-UDI-stub