Villepin, Dominique de

   Born 1953. Conservative prime minister of France, 2005-2007. A former career diplomat, Dominique de Villepin was asked by Jacques Chirac to form a government in 2005, in order to revive the flagging fortunes of France's conservatives resulting from the unpopularity of the Raffarin government. A flamboyant and aristocratic former diplomat, de Villepin had garnered considerable public support in France when, as French Foreign Secretary, he had addressed the UN assembly to roundly oppose the invasion of Iraq by US and coalition forces in 2003. However, his premiership was not the success that had been hoped for. Villepin was beset by problems and recriminations. The worst fiasco came with a 2006 plan to introduce special precarious job-contracts for young people (Contrats Premier Embauche), a plan which led to massive unrest, uniting students and labour, and an ignominious government climb-down.