Hubert VÉDRINE

Bio

Hubert Védrine was born on July 31, 1947. He studied at Sciences Po Paris, earned a degree in history, and attended the École nationale d'administration (ENA), from which he graduated in 1974. In May 1981, President François Mitterrand appointed him as a diplomatic advisor at the Élysée. He remained there for fourteen years, until 1995, serving as spokesperson, then as advisor for strategic affairs, and from 1991 to 1995, as Secretary-General. From 1995 to 1997, he joined a law firm. In 1997, he was chosen by Lionel Jospin and appointed by Jacques Chirac as Minister of Foreign Affairs, a position he held until 2002. He thus experienced the first three cohabitations. In 2003, he founded a consulting firm, Hubert Védrine Conseil, working with major companies on geopolitical risks and opportunities. He has also been a lecturer and has participated in international conferences around the world. For three years, at the request of Kofi Annan, he was a member of the High-Level Group for the Alliance of Civilizations. He presided over the Institut François Mitterrand for twenty years. After 2002, he undertook a few special missions for Presidents Chirac, Sarkozy, Hollande, and Macron. He is the author of numerous books, including Dictionnaire amoureux de la géopolitique (2021), which has been entirely revised and republished in February 2025 under the title Nouveau dictionnaire amoureux de la géopolitique, as well as Camus, notre rempart (2024), published by Plon, Les Grands diplomates (2024), published by Perrin, Après l’Occident, published by Perrin and Robert Laffont.