Jean-Marie Bockel

Who is Jean-Marie Bockel?

Jean-Marie Bockel was Secretary of State for Defence and Veterans in the government of Prime Minister François Fillon appointed in 18 March 2008, having previously been Secretary of State for Cooperation and La Francophonie since June 2007. He has been a member of the French National Assembly since 1981, when he stood as a Socialist Party candidate, and was Minister for Commerce in the Socialist Party government of Laurent Fabius between 1984 and 1986.

Bockel was born in Strasbourg. He is a lawyer and has been mayor of Mulhouse since 1989. On the right wing of the Socialist Party, he declared himself to be an admirer and strong supporter of the policies of Tony Blair.

In November 2007 he announced the formation of a new centre-left political party, Modern Left, following his resignation from the Socialist Party when joining the Sarkozy administration, and used this party as a vehicle to campaign in the municipal elections of 2008 for a fourth term as mayor.