Barre, Raymond Octave Joseph

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French centre-right politician, prime minister 1976–81 under President Valéry Giscard d'Estaing, when he gained a reputation as a tough and determined budget-cutter.

Born in the French island of Réunion, in the Indian Ocean, Barre was a successful academic economist, holding a chair at the Sorbonne before serving on the European Commission 1967–72. When appointed to the premiership, replacing Jacques Chirac, his only previous governmental experience was as minister of foreign trade 1974–76. An early advocate of neo-liberal ideas in France and a strong defender of the Fifth Republic's institutions, he represented Lyon in the National Assembly from 1978, as a member of Giscard's Union for French Democracy (Union pour la Démocratie Française), and was mayor of Lyon 1995–2001. He stood unsuccessfully in the 1988 presidential elections, finishing third behind the socialist president Francois Mitterrand and the right-of-centre Gaullist Jacques Chirac.

The blue star signifies the purity and honesty of the life of the country. The red star represents authority and law. Effective date: 4 June 1904. >>