Rama Yade (full name Ramatoulaye Yade-Zimet) is a French politician, the Secretary of State for Human Rights under the Minister of Foreign and European Affairs, Bernard Kouchner.

 Education

Yade was born on 13 December 1976 in Dakar, Senegal. Her mother was a professor and her father, also a professor, the personal secretary of the president Léopold Sédar Senghor. A Muslim, Yade was educated in Catholic schools and then at the Institut d'Études Politiques de Paris, where she graduated in 2000. Yade is married to Joseph Zimet, an adviser to Secretary of State Jean-Marie Bockel.

 Career

Yade worked at the Paris city hall and the National Assembly before becoming an administrator in the Senate in 2002. She joined the Union for a Popular Movement (UMP) political party in 2005 and became National Secretary in charge of Francophonie in 2006. She credits Nicolas Sarkozy's charisma with making her want to join the UMP.

In May 2007, she was appointed Secretary of State for Human Rights under the Minister of Foreign and European Affairs, Bernard Kouchner.

In November 2008, Yade was rumoured to be Nicolas Sarkozy's favorite choice for replacing Jean-Pierre Jouyet as Secretary of State for European Affairs, and was also privately asked to lead one of the UMP lists for the 2009 European Parliament elections. However, on 7 December, she declined to run for a seat in the European Parliament and declared herself "more interested in national mandate"   . On 9 December, Le Monde reported that Nicolas Sarkozy was "deeply disappointed" by her attitude and that she had "ruined all her chances" to succeed Jouyet.    The following day, Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner, in an interview with Le Parisien, said he regretted his suggestion to appoint a Secretary of State for Human Rights, although he noted that Yade had "done, with talent, what she could do"   . She currently has the highest approval rating in the French government   , with over 70%.
 

• Login or register to post comments
• Forum thread