Senator Jean-Pierre Raffarin , Former Prime Minister of France

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Born in 1948, Jean-Pierre RAFFARIN graduated from Ecole Supérieure de Commerce de Paris (ESCP°. He was a senior lecturer at the Institut d’Etudes Politiques in Paris and today at ESCP Europe. He began his professional career in the industry and in the communication field. As a political man he occupied high functions : President of the Region Poitou Charentes, Member of the European Parliament, Senator of Vienne since 1995.

Minister of Small and Medium Enterprises, Commerce and Craft from 1995 to 1997, he was Prime Minister from 2002 to 2005.
He is particularly active on the international stage as President of the Republic’s personal representative for Francophony, as Chairman of France—China Committee, and of the Senates’ France-United States Friendship Group as well as special Envoy of the President of the Republic for the French-Algerian economic relations.
He is Chairman of the Fondation pour la Prospective et l’Innovation.