Genevieve Fioraso

Genevieve Fioraso

Date of Birth: 10.10.1954
Country: France

Content:
  1. Geneviève Fioraso: French Politician and Higher Education Minister
  2. Political Career
  3. Business and Higher Education Advocacy
  4. Ministerial Tenure and Parliamentary Activity
  5. Accusations of Conflict of Interest
  6. Resignation and Retirement
  7. Personal Life

Geneviève Fioraso: French Politician and Higher Education Minister

Early Life and Education

Geneviève Fioraso was born in Pont-Audemer, France, and studied English and economics at the University of Caen Normandy. From 1975 to 1978, she taught these subjects at the Lycée Jean Racine in Poix-de-Picardie and later at the Lycée Édouard Branly in Amiens.

Political Career

Fioraso entered politics in 1983 as a parliamentary assistant to Hubert Dubedout, the socialist deputy for Grenoble. In 1995, she became the chief of staff of Grenoble's new socialist mayor, Michel Destot. She rose through the ranks, becoming Deputy Mayor for Economy, Commerce, Crafts, and Innovation in 2001 and First Vice President of the Grenoble-Alpes Métropole.

In 2007, Fioraso was elected to the National Assembly, defeating Alain Carignon, a former mayor of Grenoble who had been convicted of corruption. She served on the Economic Affairs Committee and the Parliamentary Office for the Evaluation of Scientific and Technological Choices (OPECST).

Business and Higher Education Advocacy

Between 2001 and 2004, Fioraso worked for France Télécom. In 2004, she became President and CEO of Sem Minatec Entreprises, a company focused on micro- and nanotechnologies.

Fioraso's commitment to higher education was evident in her presidency of the Socialist Party's forum on the subject in 2011. In 2012, she was appointed Minister of Higher Education and Research in the first government of Jean-Marc Ayrault.

Ministerial Tenure and Parliamentary Activity

Fioraso was re-elected to the National Assembly in 2012 and retained her ministerial position in the second Ayrault government. However, she resigned as an MP in 2012 to focus on her ministerial duties. In 2014, she was appointed State Secretary for Higher Education and Research in the first government of Manuel Valls.

Accusations of Conflict of Interest

In 2014, the government issued a decree addressing allegations of conflict of interest involving Fioraso. Her partner at the time was the head of the Technological Research Office of the French Atomic and Alternative Energies Commission (CEA), which was supervised by both the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Research. The decree clarified that the CEA was not under Fioraso's jurisdiction.

Resignation and Retirement

Fioraso resigned from her ministerial position in 2015 due to health reasons. She did not participate in the 2017 parliamentary elections.

Personal Life

As of 2013, Fioraso declared ownership of an apartment in the 13th arrondissement of Paris valued at €1.4 million.

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