Michèle Alliot-Marie is France’s Minister of Defense and Veterans Affairs.
A barrister by profession, she holds a doctorate of law and is a senior lecturer at Paris-I University. She also holds a master's degree in ethnology.
She was elected to the National Assembly as a Deputy for Pyrénées-Atlantiques in 1986 representing the RPR (Rassemblement pour la République), and was re-elected in 1993 and 1995. She was also an Member of the European Parliament from 1989 to 1992, and since then has been Mayor of St Jean-de-Luz.
She sat on the Municipal Council first of Ciboure (Pyrénées-Atlantiques) from 1983 to 1988, and then of Biarritz from 1989 to 1992. She became a member of the region's General Council in 1994.
Appointed Minister of State with responsibility for Teaching in Jacques Chirac's government from 1986 to 1988, she returned to government as Minister for Youth and Sport in Edouard Balladur's government from 1993 to 1995.
Michèle Alliot-Marie has also held many offices in the RPR.
