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Arnaud Montebourg
Photo: Jackolan1, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons17

Arnaud Montebourg

French politician, lawyer and entrepreneur (born 1962)

Arnaud Montebourg ([aʁno mɔ̃t(ə)buʁ]; born 30 October 1962) is a French politician, lawyer and entrepreneur who served as Minister of Industrial Renewal from May 2012 to April 2014, then as Minister of Economy, Industrial Renewal and Digital Affairs until August 2014. He is a former member of the Socialist Party (PS), having participated in its 2011 and 2017 presidential primaries, finishing third both times.2

From Wikipedia’s article on Arnaud Montebourg (this version), CC BY-SA 4.0.

Born Oct 30, 1962.1

About

Following his 2017 primary run, he withdrew from active politics but remained a public commentator, leaving the PS in 2018.

A native of Nièvre, Montebourg grew up in neighbouring Côte-d'Or. He worked as a lawyer in Paris until his election to the National Assembly in the 6th constituency of Saône-et-Loire in 1997, a seat he retained until his appointment to the government to 2012. Locally, Montebourg was elected to the General Council of Saône-et-Loire for the canton of Montret from 2008 to 2015, holding the council's presidency from 2008 to 2012. In 2014, comments he made criticising the government's economic policy led to its resignation the day following, and the formation of a new government. Montebourg had characterised his political action as social-patriotic, criticising the government's austerity measures.

In 2015, Montebourg founded Les Équipes du Made in France, a company designed to support French businesses in agriculture and industry. In the years that followed, he helped launch a number of French businesses, including in the production of honey (Bleu Blanc Ruche) in 2018 and almonds (Compagnie des amandes) in 2023, as well as in railway transport (Ferromobile) in 2022. Ahead of the 2022 presidential election, he announced his candidacy, before withdrawing.

From Wikipedia’s article on Arnaud Montebourg, shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.2

Companies

Early life and education

  • Date not recordedParis Institute of Political Studies3
  • Date not recordedUniversity of Paris 1 Pantheon-Sorbonne3
  • Date not recordedUniversity of Burgundy Europe3

Montebourg was born on 30 October 1962, in the French commune of Clamecy, in Nièvre department. His father, Michel Montebourg, who was a tax inspector for the Ministry of Economy and Finances, was born in 1933. His mother, Leïla Ould Cadi, who was born in 1939 in Algeria, was of Algerian and French descent; she was born into a family of wālis (governors) from Hachem in Northern Algeria. His Algerian grandfather fought in the French Army during World War II. His Algerian great-grandfather, Ahmed Ould Cadi, who was an agha (chieftain), fought against the Ottoman caliphate before joining the French Army. He was appointed Grand Cross of the Legion of Honour in 1867.

Montebourg began working as a lawyer in 1990 with notable lawyer Thierry Lévy in Paris.

He has worked in several publicised cases. In 1995, he worked as the lawyer of Christian Didier, assassin of René Bousquet. Bousquet was a former Vichy official who had been indicted for war crimes and was soon to be tried. Didier was convicted in 1995 and received a 10-year sentence. Didier did not want to be considered insane, so Montebourg helped get the court to recognise him as responsible for the act.

From Wikipedia’s article on Arnaud Montebourg (this version), CC BY-SA 4.0.

Career

Occupation: entrepreneur, lawyer, politician.7

  • 2007 to 2012Member of the French National Assembly6
  • 2002 to 2007Member of the French National Assembly6
  • 1997 to 2002Member of the French National Assembly6
  • Date not recordedFounded L'Engagement4
  • Date not recordedChief executive, Bleu Blanc Ruche5
  • Date not recordedMember of the general council6

In October 2014, Montebourg enrolled in the INSEAD graduate business school for a four-week course and sought a bursary for his studies.

In January 2015, he launched Les Équipes du Made in France with his savings, to "implement French projects", as "a tool for bringing together financial, industrial, production and management teams to either take over or create businesses." The company's focus lies on agricultural and industrial projects. Between 16 and 26 February 2015, he was invited as a visiting professor of economics at Princeton University.

On 19 March 2015, he was appointed vice president of the supervisory board of the furniture chain Habitat. On 26 March, the French-based consulting and business analyst company Talan announced that Montebourg had been given a place on its strategic policy committee.

In 2023, Les Echos reported Montebourg to be at the helm of ten businesses.

From Wikipedia’s article on Arnaud Montebourg (this version), CC BY-SA 4.0.

Personal life

  • BornOct 30, 1962, Clamecy8
  • CitizenshipFrance9

Montebourg lived from 2010 to 2012 with journalist Audrey Pulvar and from 2014 until 2017 with fellow minister Aurélie Filippetti, with whom he has a daughter, Jeanne, born in September 2015.

In February 2015, Montebourg was called a hero for saving several fellow diners in the New York City brasserie Balthazar from serious injury by single-handedly holding up a large mirror which had fallen from the restaurant's wall.

From Wikipedia’s article on Arnaud Montebourg (this version), CC BY-SA 4.0.

Awards

  • 2000Young Leader of the French American Foundation10 11

Sources

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