François Gerard Marie Léotard is a retired French politician. Singer and actor Philippe Léotard was his brother. Member of the Republican Party, the liberal-conservative component of the Union for French Democracy, he appeared in the foreground of the political scene in the 1980s. He led a new generation of right-wing politicians, the "renovationmen", who opposed the old right-wing leadersJacques Chirac and Valéry Giscard d'Estaing. In 1981, he was selected to be one of the first Young Leaders of the French-American Foundation. His political career started with being elected as the Mayor of Fréjus in 1977. He served two terms as the deputy of Var. Culture Minister, from 1986 to 1988, he sold the main public TV channelTF1. He returned in the cabinet as Defense Minister, from 1993 to 1995. Supporting the candidacy of Edouard Balladur in the 1995 presidential election, he was dismissed after Chirac's election. Elected president of the UDF in 1996, he could not prevent the split of this confederation two years later with Alain Madelin's secession. This and the party's poor showing in the 1998 regional elections prompted his resignation. After a mission in Macedoniain 2001 as representative of the European Union, he retired from politics. In 2003, he created together with other prominent European personalities the Medbridge Strategy Center, whose goal is to promote dialogue and mutual understanding between Europe and the Middle-East. He has since written several books.
Political career
Governmental functions Minister of State, minister of Defence : 1993–1995. Minister of Culture and Communication : 1986–1988. Electoral mandates National Assembly of France Member of the National Assembly of France for Var : 1978–1986 / 1988–1993 / 1995–2001. Elected in 1978, reelected in 1981, 1986, 1988, 1993, 1995, 1997. Regional Council Regional councillor of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur : 1998–2004. General Council General councillor of Var : 1979–1988. Reelected in 1985. Municipal Council Mayor of Fréjus : 1977–1997. Reelected in 1983, 1989, 1995. Municipal councillor of Fréjus : 1977–1997. Reelected in 1983, 1989, 1995. Political functions President of the Union for French Democracy : 1996–1998. President of the Republican Party : 1982–1990 / 1995–1997.
Books
Léotard wrote also several books including non-fiction and a couple of novels:
Ma liberté published by Plon, 1995
Pour l'honneur published by B. Grasset, 1997
La Couleur des femmes published by Grasset & Fasquelle, 2002
A mon frère qui n'est pas mort published by Grasset & Fasquelle, 2003
La vie mélancolique des méduses published by Grasset & Fasquelle, 2005
Ça va mal finir published by Grasset & Fasquelle, 2008
