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Philippe Séguin
President of the Cour des Comptes
Incumbent
Assumed office  21 July 2004
Preceded by	François Logerot
President of the French National Assembly
In office 2 April 1993 – 12 June 1997
Preceded by	Henri Emmanuelli
Succeeded by	Laurent Fabius
President of Rally for the Republic
In office 1997 – 1999
Preceded by	Alain Juppé
Succeeded by	Nicolas Sarkozy (acting)
French Minister for Social Affairs and Employment
In office 20 March 1986 – 12 May 1988
Preceded by	Georgina Dufoix
Succeeded by	Michel Delebarre
Member of the French National Assembly for Vosges
In office 19 March 1978 – 1 April 1986
In office 12 June 1988 – 18 June 2002
Born	21 April 1943 (1943-04-21) (age 66) Tunis, Tunisia
Nationality	French

Philippe Séguin (born 21 April 1943) is a former French politician, and current president of France's Cour des Comptes (Court of Financial Auditors).

He entered the Court of Financial Auditors in 1970, but he began a political career in the Neo-Gaullist party RPR. In 1978, he was elected to the National Assembly as a deputy for the Vosges département.

Representing the social tradition of the Gaullism, he was Minister of Social Affairs in Jacques Chirac's cabinet, from 1986 to 1988. After Chirac's defeat at the 1988 presidential election, he allied with Charles Pasqua and criticized the abandonment of Gaullist doctrine. He accused Alain Juppé and Édouard Balladur of wanting an alignment on liberal and pro-European policies.

In 1992, he played a leading role in the No campaign against the Maastricht Treaty. On the eve of the vote he opposed President François Mitterrand in a televised debate.

As president of the National Assembly from 1993 to 1997, he supported the winning candidacy of Jacques Chirac at the 1995 presidential election. He inspired his theme of campaign, "the social fracture".

Their relations deteriorated when he took the lead of the RPR, after the right-wing defeat at the 1997 legislative election. He failed to change the name of the party to "The Rally". He criticized the ascendancy of President Chirac within the party, refusing to be the leader of a "Chirac's fan-club". He resigned in 1999 just before the European elections, leaving his deputy Nicolas Sarkozy in charge.

As the RPR's official candidate, he lost the 2001 mayoral election in Paris. Refusing the merge of the Neo-Gaullist party with the right-wing classical forces in the Union for a Popular Movement, he quit politics in 2002.

[edit] Political career

Governmental function

Minister of Social affairs and Employment : 1986-1988

Electoral mandates

President of the National Assembly of France : 1993-1997

Member of the National Assembly of France for Vosges : 1978-1986 (Became minister in 1986) / 1988-2002

Vice-president of the National Assembly of France : 1981-1986

Mayor of Epinal : 1983-1997

Regional councillor of Lorraine (region) : 1983-1986

Vice-president of the Regional Council of Lorraine (region) : 1979-1983

Municipal councillor of Paris : 2001-2002 (Resignation)

Political functions

President of the Rally for the Republic : 1997-1999

[edit] External links

• Official page (French)

Political offices
Preceded by Henri Emmanuelli	President of the National Assembly 1993–1997	Succeeded by Laurent Fabius
Party political offices
Preceded by Alain Juppé	President of Rally for the Republic 1997–1999	Succeeded by Nicolas Sarkozy (acting)