Historical Figures

Nicolas Sarkozy

Son of a Hungarian immigrant and a French mother, Nicolas Sarkozy was born in Paris. A graduate in private law and political science, he joined the UDR (Union of Democrats for the Republic), a Gaullist party, in 1974.

He was elected mayor of Neuilly-sur-Seine at the age of 28, in 1983. Entering the National Assembly in 1988, he was appointed Minister (of the Budget) for the first time in 1993, in the government of Edouard Balladur. He assumed the functions of Minister of the Interior from 2002 (under the presidency of Jacques Chirac) and the presidency of the General Council of Hauts-de-Seine (from 2004 to 2007).

Elected President of the Republic in 2007 (with 53.06% of the vote) and defeated in his re-election in May 2012 by François Hollande, he announced his retirement from political life. However, he returned in 2014, to the presidency of the UMP (Union for a Popular Movement) which he renamed "Les Républicains" in May 2015.

He is currently a life member of the Constitutional Council, where he has not sat since January 2013 (unable to leave and resign).

1955 - ?

Status

Politician


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