Philippe Douste-Blazy

Philippe Douste-Blazy (born on January 1st 1953 in Lourdes is a cardiologist and a french christian-democrat politician. His current job is Minister of Health and Social Welfare in Jean Pierre Raffarin's third governement. His principal former jobs were mayor of Lourdes and mayor of Toulouse I did his medecine studies in Toulouse, where he had is first job in 1976. He then worked as a cardiologist in Lourdes and Toulouse, namely in Purpan's hospital since 1986. He then joins French Society of Cardiology. He become Professor of Medecine in Toulouse Sciences Faculty in 1988. He start politics in march 1989, being elected mayor of Lourdes and then Member of the European Parliament in june of the same year. He is then part of the European's People Party. This year is also the one of its election as national director of the association of researches against elevations of cholesterol (I'm not sure of that word in English) At the end of 1993, he is disgned Junior Minister of Health, after being elected Deputy in April. He will stay at this ministery until 1995 presidential election. In march 1994, he is elected at Hautes-Pyrénées's General Concil.He become general secretary of french former political party CDS on december. In January 1995, after the election of Jacques Chirac as President of the French Republic, candidature he was backing, he is designed Junior Minister of Health and Governement's spokesman. Five mounths later, he become Minister of Culture. In June, he is also elected Mayor of Lourdes. By the end of November, he is elected general secretary of Force Démocrate. In June 1997, the overwhilming defeat of conservative during general elections make him lose its job as Minister of Culture, but he stays deputy of Hautes-Pyrénées) and become president of UDF parliamentary group at the National Assembly. In march 2001, he wins the seat of deputy in Haute-Garonne's first disrict. In the same time, he wins the municipal elections in Toulouse, and become Mayor of the city, succeding to Dominique Baudis who was backing him. At the end of 2001, he joins the candidature of Jacques Chirac for 2002 presidential elections. And works to create the future UMP. He is reelected in Haute-Garonne's first disrict on june 16 2002, and become general secretary of UMP the same mounth. In march 2004, he is choosen by Jean Pierre Raffarin to become Minister of Health ans Social Welfare. He then has to resigned from his seat of Mayor of Toulouse. He is succeded there by Jean-Luc Moudenc.