French Politician who was the first woman in France to hold positions in Defense, the Interior, and Foreign Affairs. She became the first woman to chair a major French political party when she was named President of the Rally for the Republic in 1999.
She attended Pantheon-Assas University before jumping into politics by running for Municipal Councillor for the Basque-area village of Ciboure in 1983.
She resigned from government in 2011 after coming under scrutiny for going on vacation in Tunisia while there was a civil war happening there.
While she was dating Patrick Ollier in 2010 he was a minister in the government, making it the first time a couple ever sat in a French government simultaneously.
She has been a political rival of Nicolas Sarkozy.
