Dominique de Villepin (born Dominique Marie François René Galouzeau de Villepin (dɔminik də vilpɛ̃ — ) on 14 November 1953 in Rabat, Morocco) served as the Prime Minister of France from May 31, 2005 to May 17, 2007.
A career diplomat, Villepin rose through the ranks of the French right as one of Jacques Chirac's protégés. He came into the international spotlight as Foreign Minister with his opposition to the 2003 invasion of Iraq which culminated with a speech to the United Nations.
A French judicial process has been commenced against Villepin in connection with the Clearstream Affair. Magistrates are investigating whether he was complicit in allowing false accusations to proceed against presidential rival Nicolas Sarkozy regarding bribes paid on a sale of warships to Taiwan. blank">Villepin faces charges in smear campaign in France International Herald Tribune. Recently, however, Villepin has enjoyed a modest return to public favour for his public critique of President Sarkozy's style of imperial rule.
He has three children: _Marie (b. 1986), Arthur, and Victoire (b. 1989). He has written poetry, a book about poetry, and several historical and political essays, along with a study of Napoleon.
