Time for another in the occasional series looking at some of the women in the French government who are making their mark on politics here in France.
It's the turn of France's interior minister, Michèle Alliot-Marie (or MAM as she is commonly known here) who hasn't had an easy week over her project to introduce "Edvige" - a centralised database to store information on those who might be considered to pose a threat to national security or likely to "breach public order".
She had a very public falling out with one of her cabinet colleagues, the defence minister, Hervé Morin and then her knuckles severely rapped by the French president, Nicolas Sarkozy.
The controversy over Edvige has been rumbling on for the best part of the summer. It's basically an electronic centralised database to store information on those who might be considered to pose a threat to national security or likely to "breach public order".
It would also allow records to be kept on those as young as 13 - youngsters who perhaps have no criminal record but whose activities and social milieu leaves them "susceptible" to becoming members of gangs.
Things reached a head last week when Morin publicly challenged MAM's project by saying he shared some of the doubts of opponents to the scheme.
A couple of days later the interior minister was forced to backtrack somewhat - she had to after the groundswell of opposition to the project and Sarkozy's intervention. And now she has agreed that "lifestyle" details (read sexuality) won't be included and there'll be a review of exactly how far records should be kept on children as young as 13.
The furore is far from over - there are nationwide protests still planned against the project, there's an online petition and the country's supreme court is to rule on the legitimacy of Edvige in December.
But MAM, a seasoned politician and a usually calming influence, is likely to weather the storm.
It's the turn of France's interior minister, Michèle Alliot-Marie (or MAM as she is commonly known here) who hasn't had an easy week over her project to introduce "Edvige" - a centralised database to store information on those who might be considered to pose a threat to national security or likely to "breach public order".
She had a very public falling out with one of her cabinet colleagues, the defence minister, Hervé Morin and then her knuckles severely rapped by the French president, Nicolas Sarkozy.
The controversy over Edvige has been rumbling on for the best part of the summer. It's basically an electronic centralised database to store information on those who might be considered to pose a threat to national security or likely to "breach public order".
It would also allow records to be kept on those as young as 13 - youngsters who perhaps have no criminal record but whose activities and social milieu leaves them "susceptible" to becoming members of gangs.
Things reached a head last week when Morin publicly challenged MAM's project by saying he shared some of the doubts of opponents to the scheme.
A couple of days later the interior minister was forced to backtrack somewhat - she had to after the groundswell of opposition to the project and Sarkozy's intervention. And now she has agreed that "lifestyle" details (read sexuality) won't be included and there'll be a review of exactly how far records should be kept on children as young as 13.
The furore is far from over - there are nationwide protests still planned against the project, there's an online petition and the country's supreme court is to rule on the legitimacy of Edvige in December.
But MAM, a seasoned politician and a usually calming influence, is likely to weather the storm.
Photograph by Remi Jouan (from Wikipedia)
And it wasn't really too much of a surprise when she was named to the government of Sarokzy's prime minister, François Fillion, last year. The only question on most political commentators' minds was which post she would be offered.
She's by far the most politically experienced of the seven women in senior position in the cabinet, entering politics back in in 1983 as a local councillor and three years later winning a seat in the national assembly - the lower chamber of parliament here in France.
By the end of the 90s MAM had worked her way through the ranks of the centre-right Rassemblement pour la République party, the forerunner of the modern-day Union pour un Mouvement Populaire (Union for a Popular Movement, UMP) party, to become the first woman to lead a party.
In 2002 there was another first for MAM, when she was appointed defence minister – a post she held until May last year.
She considered standing as a candidate for the UMP presidential nomination (against Sarkozy), but eventually threw her backing behind the now president in the hope of being suitably rewarded.
And in a sense she was, becoming (once again) the first woman to hold the office of interior minister. But her role and influence was seriously diminished by Sarkozy’s decision to move immigration to another (newly-created) ministry, headed by one of his closest allies and personal friend for more than 30 years, Brice Hortefeux.
So MAM, who under Sarkozy's predeccesor, Jacques Chirac, was in charge of one of Europe’s largest defence budgets and took the occasional trip in a Mirage fighter ‘plane, now finds herself drawing up laws against dangerous dogs and accompanying the president whenever he pitches up in front of the cameras to comfort families whose loved ones have died in fires.
While the Edvige fiasco might just be a hiccough in a what has been a long career, MAM is generally seen as a safe pair of hands and discreetly efficient.
When rioting broke out in the northern Parisien suburb of Villiers-le-Bel last November after two teenagers died when their scooter collided with a police car, it was MAM who took charge.
Her manner of dealing with a situation which threatened to escalate out of control was in marked contrast to her predecessor at the ministry (Sarkozy) in 2005 when there was a similar outbreak of violence in another of the capital's suburbs.
Back then Sarkozy had described young troublemakers as "thugs" and famously promised to "Kärcher" (a well-known brand of high-pressure cleaner) them.
MAM's approach was more measured, visiting and revisiting the scene of the incident, assuring police, fireman and local community leaders and calm was eventually restored.
Perhaps it helped at the time that Sarkozy himself was out of the country, allowing MAM to take the heat.
As for the future. Well of course that's pure speculation.
But the 62-year-old is much respected across the political spectrum, is without doubt a safe pair of hands and has a wealth of experience that Sarkozy would be hard-pressed to find in many other politicians - male let alone female - whenever he decides it's time to reshuffle his cabinet.
She's by far the most politically experienced of the seven women in senior position in the cabinet, entering politics back in in 1983 as a local councillor and three years later winning a seat in the national assembly - the lower chamber of parliament here in France.
By the end of the 90s MAM had worked her way through the ranks of the centre-right Rassemblement pour la République party, the forerunner of the modern-day Union pour un Mouvement Populaire (Union for a Popular Movement, UMP) party, to become the first woman to lead a party.
In 2002 there was another first for MAM, when she was appointed defence minister – a post she held until May last year.
She considered standing as a candidate for the UMP presidential nomination (against Sarkozy), but eventually threw her backing behind the now president in the hope of being suitably rewarded.
And in a sense she was, becoming (once again) the first woman to hold the office of interior minister. But her role and influence was seriously diminished by Sarkozy’s decision to move immigration to another (newly-created) ministry, headed by one of his closest allies and personal friend for more than 30 years, Brice Hortefeux.
So MAM, who under Sarkozy's predeccesor, Jacques Chirac, was in charge of one of Europe’s largest defence budgets and took the occasional trip in a Mirage fighter ‘plane, now finds herself drawing up laws against dangerous dogs and accompanying the president whenever he pitches up in front of the cameras to comfort families whose loved ones have died in fires.
While the Edvige fiasco might just be a hiccough in a what has been a long career, MAM is generally seen as a safe pair of hands and discreetly efficient.
When rioting broke out in the northern Parisien suburb of Villiers-le-Bel last November after two teenagers died when their scooter collided with a police car, it was MAM who took charge.
Her manner of dealing with a situation which threatened to escalate out of control was in marked contrast to her predecessor at the ministry (Sarkozy) in 2005 when there was a similar outbreak of violence in another of the capital's suburbs.
Back then Sarkozy had described young troublemakers as "thugs" and famously promised to "Kärcher" (a well-known brand of high-pressure cleaner) them.
MAM's approach was more measured, visiting and revisiting the scene of the incident, assuring police, fireman and local community leaders and calm was eventually restored.
Perhaps it helped at the time that Sarkozy himself was out of the country, allowing MAM to take the heat.
As for the future. Well of course that's pure speculation.
But the 62-year-old is much respected across the political spectrum, is without doubt a safe pair of hands and has a wealth of experience that Sarkozy would be hard-pressed to find in many other politicians - male let alone female - whenever he decides it's time to reshuffle his cabinet.
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