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Xavier Darcos (born 14 July 1947) is a French politician, scholar and civil servant currently serving as Minister for Education.
An agrégé professor in literature and general inspector of the National Education system, he has been Mayor of Périgueux, a Senator, and a junior minister in Jean-Pierre Raffarin's governments.
Biography
Darcos was born on 14 July 1947 in Limoges to Jean-Gabriel Darcos and Anne-Marie Banvillet.
After getting a PhD in Latin studies from the University of Bordeaux and becoming a professor emeritus in letters and social sciences, he started teaching in 1968, first in Périgueux, then in a Bordeaux khâgne from 1982 to 1987, and finally at the lycée Louis-le-Grand, Paris from 1987 to 1992.
In 1989 he became deputy to the Mayor of Périgueux. Three years later, he became a senior school inspector.
From 1993 to 1995 he was the chief of staff (directeur de cabinet) to Education Minister François Bayrou, from 1995 to 1997 advisor to Prime Minister Alain Juppé for education and culture matters, and from 1995 to 1998, along with François Bayroux and Claude Allègre, he was the president of school inspectors. From 1996 to 1999 he was also a Professor in comparative literature at the Paris IV University.
In 1997 he became Mayor of Périgueux, and was reelected both in 2001 and 2005. He was also elected Senator of Dordogne in 1998.
In May 2002, he became Minister for School Education in Jean-Pierre Raffarin's cabinet, then on 1 April 2004 Minister for Cooperation, Development and Francophony.
He has been a member of the Aquitaine Regional Council since 2004. On 15 June 2005 he became a French ambassador for the OCDE.
Since 18 May 2007, he has been the Minister of National Education in François Fillon’s gouvernments. In March 2008, he failed to be reelected as Mayor of Périgueux.
In 2009, he condemned as "criminal" statements made by Pope Benedict XVI on the futility of condoms in AIDS prevention.
Political career
Governmental functions
Minister of National Education : Since 2007
Minister of School Education : 2002-2004
Minister of Development, Cooperation and Francophony : 2004-2005
Electoral mandates
Senator of Dordogne : 1998-2002 (Became minister in 2002)
Regional councillor of Aquitaine : 2004-
Mayor of Périgueux : 1997-2002 (Became mayor in 1997, after the appointment of Yves Guéna, mayor since 1971, as a member of the Constitutional Council of France) / 2005-2008
Deputy-mayor of Périgueux : 1989-1997 / 2002-2005
Awards and honours
* Xavier Darcos entered the Academy of Moral and Political Sciences in 2006.
Bibliography
* Histoire de la littérature française, 1992
* Approches ovidiennes de la mort, 1995
* Mérimée, 1998
* Robert des grands écrivains de langue française, (with other writers)
* L'Art d'apprendre à ignorer, 2000
* Dictionnaire des mythes féminins, 2002 (with other writers)
* Lettre à tous ceux qui aiment l'école, 2003 (en coll.)
* Deux voix pour une école, 2004 (with other writers)
* L'École de Jules Ferry, 2005 (prix Louis Pauwels in 2006)
* L'État et les Églises, 1905-2005, 2005
* L'État et les Églises, la question laïque, 2006
* Tacite, ses vérités sont les nôtres, 2007
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