François Baroin

François Claude Pierre René Baroin (French pronunciation: [fʁɑ̃swa klod pjɛʁ ʁəne baʁwɛ̃]; born 21 June 1965) is a French politician and lawyer who served as Finance Minister from 2011 to 2012, following a stint as Budget Minister in the government of Prime Minister François Fillon. A member of The Republicans (LR), he was a long-time ally of Jacques Chirac and has been Mayor of Troyes in Champagne since 1995.

Early life and education

Baroin was born in the 12th arrondissement of Paris to an upper-class family. His father Michel Baroin was a student friend of Chirac's who went on to become a leading freemason, chairman of retailer Fnac and the insurer GMF, and a powerful local politician.

Baroin studied at Collège Stanislas de Paris before moving to ISG Business School and Panthéon-Assas University.

Early career

Baroin started his career as a political correspondent for Europe 1 from 1988 until 1992.

Political career

In 1992, at Chirac's behest, Baroin joined his party Rally for the Republic (RPR). He became a member of the National Assembly in the 1993 elections – where he served on the Committee on Legal Affairs – and the mayor of Troyes, a mid-sized city South-East of Paris, two years later.

Baroin was appointed Chirac's campaign spokesman in the 1995 French presidential election. Following the elections, he became first state secretary and government spokesman under Prime Minister Alain Juppé and then, after a reshuffle, a political aide to the president.