Jean-Marc Ayrault, Prime Minister

Jean-Marc Ayrault was born on Jan. 25, 1950 in Maulevrier in Maine-et-Loire to the family of a Catholic agricultural worker.

He has been engaged in public activity since his youth. He was a member of the Christian Rural Youth Movement and the Catholic Worker Movement. In 1972, he joined the French Socialist Party. After graduating from a lyceum in Chalet and Nantes University, he and his wife, who was born in Maulevrier, worked as German teachers in Reze and Saint-Herblain.

Ayrault continued his activity in the Socialist Party. He became a member of the party's board in 1977, and a member of its executive bureau in 1979.

In 1977, at the age of 27, he was also elected the mayor of Saint-Herblain, becoming the youngest mayor in France at the time.

In 1986-1988, he was a member of the National Assembly as representative of Loire Atlantique. In 1989, he conquered the Nantes mayoralty held by the members of the right. His subsequent achievements in Nantes became his calling card and the foundation of his political career at the national level. He was re-elected as mayor three times and won in the first round in 2001, which is rare for local elections in France.

In 1997, after being re-elected as mayor, he became the chairman of the united group of left forces in the National Assembly. Experts underscore his efficiency in this position, his achievements in uniting the group, and his ability to evenly distribute his efforts between governing Nantes and the group. He held working meetings with city officials on board the Nantes-Paris express train. His colleagues then returned to Nantes.

In 2007, he was re-elected as the group leader. His goal was to upgrade the Socialist Party.

On May 15, 2012 was appointed prime minister.