Jean-Pierre Raffarin joins the Club de Madrid

Club de Madrid is honoured to welcome Jean-Pierre Raffarin, former Prime Minister of France (2002–2005), as its newest Member.

Raffarin brings decades of leadership in national and international politics. Appointed Prime Minister by President Jacques Chirac, he led the French government from 2002 to 2005. He also served as Minister for Small and Medium Enterprises, Commerce and Crafts, Vice-President of the Senate, and Chairman of the Senate Foreign Affairs, Defence and Armed Forces Committee. From 1988 to 2004, he was President of the Poitou-Charentes region—at the time, the youngest regional president in France.

A committed European and advocate of multilateral cooperation, Raffarin served as a Member of the European Parliament and President of the Association of French Regions. Throughout his political career, he has actively promoted inclusive development, global peace, and international cultural dialogue.

Beyond public office, Jean-Pierre Raffarin is currently:

  • Chairman of the Fondation Prospective et Innovation (since 2009)

  • Founding Chairman of Leaders for Peace

  • Member of the Board of the Guimet National Museum of Asian Arts

  • Chairman of the French Committee for the Praemium Imperiale – Tokyo, awarded by Japan’s Imperial Family

  • A personal representative of the President of France for various international missions

He is also a professor at ESCP Business School, Peking University, and the China Europe International Business School (CEIBS) in Shanghai. As an author, he has written extensively on China, leadership, and the global challenges of the 21st century.

Raffarin holds the Grand’croix of the Legion of Honour and the Grand’croix of the National Order of Merit.

His outstanding diplomatic insight and long-standing commitment to democratic values will enrich the work of Club de Madrid. We warmly welcome Prime Minister Raffarin to our community of democratic former Heads of State and Government.