Jean-Michel Blanquer
{{short description|French politician and jurist (born 1964)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2022}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name = Jean-Michel Blanquer
| image = Blanquer 2022 (cropped).jpg
| caption = Blanquer in 2022
| office = Minister of National Education, Youth and Sports
| term_start = 17 May 2017
| term_end = 20 May 2022
| president = Emmanuel Macron
| primeminister = Édouard Philippe
Jean Castex
| predecessor = Najat Vallaud-Belkacem (National Education, Higher Education and Research)
| successor = Pap Ndiaye
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1964|12|04|df=yes}}
| birth_place = Paris, France
| party = LREM (since 2017)
| education = Collège Stanislas
| alma_mater = Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne University
Sciences Po
Paris 2 Panthéon-Assas University
| spouse = {{marriage|Anna Cabana|2022}}
{{marriage|Sophie de Puybaudet|1991|reason=divorce|2012}}
{{marriage|Aurélia Devos|2018|reason=divorce|2020}}
}}
Jean-Michel Blanquer ({{IPA|fr|ʒɑ̃ miʃɛl blɑ̃kɛʁ}}; born 4 December 1964) is a French jurist and government official serving as Minister of National Education under Prime Ministers Édouard Philippe and Jean Castex from 2017 to 2022.{{cite news|url=http://www.lemonde.fr/politique/article/2017/05/17/jean-michel-blanquer-un-specialiste-marque-a-droite-a-l-education-nationale_5129208_823448.html |title=Jean-Michel Blanquer, un spécialiste marqué à droite à l'éducation nationale |newspaper=Le Monde |date= 17 May 2017|accessdate=17 May 2017}}Pierre Lepelletier (20 May 2022), [https://www.lefigaro.fr/politique/nouveau-gouvernement-jean-michel-blanquer-remercie-apres-son-record-de-cinq-ans-a-l-education-nationale-20220520 Nouveau gouvernement : Jean-Michel Blanquer remercié après son record de cinq ans à l'Éducation nationale] Le Figaro.
Education and early career
Born in the 8th arrondissement of Paris, he obtained a doctorate in law from Panthéon-Assas University and a master's degree in politics from Sciences Po. From 1996 to 1998, he was a professor in civil law at Sciences Po Lille. From 1998 to 2004, he was director of the Institute of Latin American Studies at the New Sorbonne University.{{citation needed|date=June 2022}}
From 2009 to 2012, Blanquer served as the director general of secondary and junior school education under then Minister of National Education Luc Chatel. In 2013, he became president of ESSEC Business School.{{cite web|url=http://www.essec.edu/en/pages/about-essec/essec-business-school/governance-and-organization/|title=Governance – ESSEC Business School, the pioneering spirit – About ESSEC|website=essec.edu|access-date=26 May 2017|archive-date=27 September 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200927232926/https://www.essec.edu/en/pages/about-essec/essec-business-school/governance-and-organization/|url-status=dead}}{{cite web|url=https://www.ft.com/content/c41b2cec-f9d8-11e7-a492-2c9be7f3120a|title=Jen-Michel Blanquer Brings Elite Insights to France's State Schools|work=Financial Times|first=Jonathan|last=Moules|date=21 January 2018}}
Minister of National Education
On 15 May 2017, Blanquer was appointed by President Emmanuel Macron to be Minister of National Education in the first Philippe government. He retained the position on 17 June 2017 when the second Philippe government was formed, following the legislative election of 2017.{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-39948523|title=Macron cabinet: Women are half of France's new ministers|work=BBC News|date=17 May 2017}}
Soon after assuming the office, Blanquer announced plans to get rid of homework, preferring instead that time be set aside during the school day to do homework in school.{{cite web|url=http://www.leparisien.fr/politique/le-ministre-de-l-education-veut-mettre-fin-aux-devoirs-a-la-maison-26-05-2017-6986628.php#xtor=AD-1481423552|title=Le ministre de l'Education veut mettre fin aux devoirs à la maison|date=27 May 2017}} He also overhauled the French baccalaureate and introduced free breakfasts for school children in poor neighborhoods.[https://www.reuters.com/article/us-france-politics-factbox/factbox-who-are-the-key-ministers-in-macrons-new-government-idUSKBN2472L2 Factbox: Who are the key ministers in Macron's new government] Reuters, 6 July 2020. In June 2017, the ministry published a readjustment of elementary school programs in French and mathematics.{{Cite web|url=https://www.europe1.fr/societe/ecole-elementaire-vers-un-ajustement-des-programmes-a-la-rentree-3694013|title=Ecole élémentaire : vers un 'ajustement' des programmes à la rentrée|website=Europe 1|date=26 June 2018 |accessdate=17 September 2019}}
In December 2017, Blanquer announced that France's education system would ban mobile devices during lunch or recess.{{cite web|url=http://frenchtribune.com/teneur/25812-french-schools-set-ban-all-mobile-devices-next-fall|title=French Schools Set to Ban All Mobile Devices By Next Fall|work=French Tribune|first=Nanette|last=Dupree|date=28 January 2018}} The announcement was met with mixed responses.{{cite web|url=https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2017/12/12/570145408/france-moves-to-ban-students-from-using-cellphones-in-schools|title=France Moves to Ban Students From Using Cellphones In Schools|publisher=NPR|first=Laurel|last=Wamsley|date=12 December 2017}}
In early 2021, Blanquer removed himself from the race to lead the LREM campaign in Île-de-France during that year's regional elections and to potentially succeed Valérie Pécresse as president of the Regional Council of Île-de-France.Loris Boichot and Mathilde Siraud (28 January 2021), [https://www.lefigaro.fr/politique/regionales-jean-michel-blanquer-renonce-definitivement-a-sa-candidature-ile-de-france-20210128 Régionales : Jean-Michel Blanquer renonce définitivement à sa candidature Île-de-France] Le Figaro.
In addition to his government role, Blanquer has been heading the Le Laboratoire de la République since 2021; the organization is a think tank tasked with countering wokeism.{{cite web|last=Caulcutt|first=Clea|date=19 October 2021|url=https://www.politico.eu/article/macron-education-minister-jean-michel-blanquer-anti-woke/|title=French education minister's anti-woke mission|website=Politico Europe|access-date=2 June 2022}}{{cite web|last=Caulcutt|first=Clea|date=30 May 2022|url=https://www.politico.eu/article/france-culture-war-emmanuel-macron-government-woke-minister-pap-ndiaye-education-reform/|title=France's culture wars reignited after Macron appoints 'woke' minister|website=Politico Europe|access-date=2 June 2022}} He joined the law faculty of Paris 2 Panthéon-Assas University in 2022 as professor of civil law.{{Cite web|url=https://www.rtl.fr/actu/politique/blanquer-de-retour-a-la-fac-un-professeur-de-droit-un-brin-blagueur-selon-ses-etudiants-7900190820|title=Blanquer de retour à la fac : un professeur de droit un brin blagueur selon ses étudiants|website=rtl.fr|date=30 September 2022 }}
2022 legislative election
In the 2022 French legislative election, he stood in Loiret's 4th constituency but came third, and was eliminated in the first round.{{Cite web |title=Législatives 2022 : douche froide pour Jean-Michel Blanquer éliminé dès le premier tour |url=https://www.femmeactuelle.fr/actu/news-actu/legislatives-2022-douche-froide-pour-jean-michel-blanquer-elimine-des-le-premier-tour-2136141 |access-date=2022-06-12 |website=Femme Actuelle |date=12 June 2022 |language=fr |archive-date=9 August 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220809075305/https://www.femmeactuelle.fr/actu/news-actu/legislatives-2022-douche-froide-pour-jean-michel-blanquer-elimine-des-le-premier-tour-2136141 |url-status=dead }}
Personal life
Bibliography
- "Requiem pour Jean-Michel Blanquer", in {{citation |title=Hallier en roue libre|author=Thiollet, Jean-Pierre |author-link=Jean-Pierre Thiollet |location=Paris |publisher=Neva Editions |year=2022 |isbn=978-2-35055-305-4}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
{{commons category-inline}}
{{Second Philippe government}}
{{Portal bar|Biography}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Blanquer, Jean-Michel}}
Category:Renaissance (French political party) politicians
Category:Politicians from Paris
Category:Collège Stanislas de Paris alumni
Category:Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne University alumni
Category:Paris 2 Panthéon-Assas University alumni
Category:Knights of the Legion of Honour
Category:20th-century French politicians
Category:21st-century French politicians