.mw-parser-output .hidden-begin{box-sizing:border-box;width:100%;padding:5px;border:none;font-size:95%}.mw-parser-output .hidden-title{font-weight:bold;line-height:1.6;text-align:left}.mw-parser-output .hidden-content{text-align:left}You can help expand this article with text translated from the corresponding article in French. (April 2023) Click [show] for important translation instructions. View a machine-translated version of the French article. Machine translation, like DeepL or Google Translate, is a useful starting point for translations, but translators must revise errors as necessary and confirm that the translation is accurate, rather than simply copy-pasting machine-translated text into the English Wikipedia. Consider adding a topic to this template: there are already 5,970 articles in the main category, and specifying|topic= will aid in categorization. Do not translate text that appears unreliable or low-quality. If possible, verify the text with references provided in the foreign-language article. You must provide copyright attribution in the edit summary accompanying your translation by providing an interlanguage link to the source of your translation. A model attribution edit summary is Content in this edit is translated from the existing French Wikipedia article at [[:fr:Jacques Toubon]]; see its history for attribution. You should also add the template ((Translated|fr|Jacques Toubon)) to the talk page. For more guidance, see Wikipedia:Translation.
This biography of a living person needs additional citations for verification. Please help by adding reliable sources. Contentious material about living persons that is unsourced or poorly sourced must be removed immediately from the article and its talk page, especially if potentially libelous.Find sources: "Jacques Toubon" – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (July 2011) (Learn how and when to remove this template message)

Jacques Toubon
Toubon in 2009
Defender of Rights
In office
17 July 2014 – 16 July 2020
PresidentFrançois Hollande
Emmanuel Macron
Preceded byDominique Baudis
Succeeded byClaire Hédon
Minister of Culture
In office
1993–1995
PresidentFrançois Mitterrand
Prime MinisterÉdouard Balladur
Preceded byJack Lang
Succeeded byPhilippe Douste-Blazy
Minister of Justice
In office
1995–1997
PresidentJacques Chirac
Prime MinisterAlain Juppé
Preceded byPierre Méhaignerie
Succeeded byÉlisabeth Guigou
Mayor of the 13th arrondissement of Paris
In office
1983–2001
Preceded byNone
Succeeded bySerge Blisko
Personal details
Born (1941-06-21) 21 June 1941 (age 82)
Nice, France
Political partyRPR
UMP
Alma materSciences Po Lyon
École nationale d'administration

Jacques Toubon (born 21 June 1941[1]) is a right-wing French politician who held several major national and Parisian offices. He has been serving as Defender of Rights (Ombudsman) between 2014 and 2020.[2]

Political career

Governmental functions

Minister of Culture : 1993–1995.[3]

Keeper of the Seals, Minister of Justice : 1995–1997.

Electoral mandates

European Parliament

Member of European Parliament : 2004–2009. Elected in 2004.

National Assembly of France

Member of the National Assembly for Paris : 1981–1993 (Became minister in 1993). Elected in 1981, reelected in 1986, 1988, 1993.

Municipal Council

Deputy-mayor of Paris : 1983–2001. Reelected in 1989, 1995.

Councillor of Paris : 1983–2008. Reelected in 1989, 1995, 2001.

Mayor of the 13th arrondissement of Paris : 1983–2001. Reelected in 1989, 1995.

Councillor of the 13th arrondissement of Paris : 1983–2001. Reelected in 1989, 1995.

Controversial actions

Jacques Toubon is known for the controversial so-called Toubon Law, enforcing the use of the French language in official French government publications, and advertisements published in France. Since the law can largely be described as being hostile to English, Jacques Toubon is sometimes referred to, jokingly, as "Mr Allgood" ("All Good" being a translation of "Tout bon").

Jacques Toubon is also remembered for the "helicopter affair". In 1996, an initial criminal enquiry had been opened by Laurent Davenas, then head prosecutor of Évry for alleged misuse of government funds, in which Xavière Tiberi, wife of then mayor of Paris Jean Tiberi (from Toubon's party) was involved. (See corruption scandals in the Paris region). However, this was not a full criminal investigation and no investigative magistrate had been named. Davenas then went on vacation in the Himalaya. His deputy then announced his decision to open a full investigation. The Rally for the Republic leaders were frightened by the possible implications of such an investigation, and Jacques Toubon, then minister of justice, famously hired a helicopter to fetch the mountaineering prosecutor and convince him to rein in his deputy (Davenas refused). [1]

Jacques Toubon has been the topic of much lampooning. In addition to "Mr Allgood", Les Guignols de l'info have referred to him as "M. Bouffon" ("Mr Buffoon").

Personal life

He was married to art expert Lise Toubon.[4]

References

  1. ^ "JACQUES TOUBON (1941- ) - Encyclopædia Universalis". www.universalis.fr. Retrieved 8 May 2023.
  2. ^ "Jacques Toubon has been elected as the new Ombudman of the Ombudsman-Institution "Le Défenseur des droits"". www.theioi.org (in German). Retrieved 26 March 2021.
  3. ^ Ball, Rodney (1997). The French-speaking world: a practical introduction to sociolinguistic issues. Psychology Press. p. 209. ISBN 978-0-415-12986-2.
  4. ^ "Lise Toubon, passionnée d'art contemporain et amie des artistes, est morte". Le Monde.fr (in French). 2 March 2021. Retrieved 26 March 2021.
Political offices Preceded byJack Lang Minister of Culture 1993–1995 Succeeded byPhilippe Douste-Blazy Preceded byPierre Méhaignerie Minister of Justice 1995–1997 Succeeded byÉlisabeth Guigou