Catherine Colonna
Catherine Colonna (born 16 April 1956) is a French diplomat. She is also a person in politics. Since September 2019, she has been the Ambassador of France to the United Kingdom. She works as ambassador from the Embassy of France, London.
Catherine Colonna | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Ambassador of France to the United Kingdom | |
| Assumed office 2 September 2019 | |
| Monarch | Elizabeth II |
| President | Emmanuel Macron |
| Preceded by | Jean-Pierre Jouyet |
| Ambassador of France to Italy | |
| In office 2014–2017 | |
| President | François Hollande Emmanuel Macron |
| Preceded by | Alain Le Roy |
| Succeeded by | Christian Masset |
| French Ambassador to UNESCO | |
| In office 26 March 2008 – 22 December 2010 | |
| Minister for European Affairs | |
| In office 2 June 2005 – 15 May 2007 | |
| President | Jacques Chirac |
| Prime Minister | Dominique de Villepin |
| Preceded by | Claudie Haigneré |
| Succeeded by | Jean-Pierre Jouyet |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 16 April 1956 Tours, France |
| Nationality |  France |
| Political party | close to The Republicans |
| Alma mater | University of Tours Sciences Po, ÉNA |
Before this, she was the Ambassador of France to Italy between 2014 and 2017.
BiographyEdit
Colonna learnt about law as a child.
In 1983, she chose to become a diplomat instead of doing a job associated with law. She decided to work at the French embassy in the USA. Colonna started working in the political unit. She would move to the press and information unit. After she went back to Paris, she would work in the legal part of Ministry of Foreign Affairs. She did this from 1986 to 1988.
In 1993, Minister of Foreign Affairs Alain Juppé and Cabinet Director Dominique de Villepin named Catherine Colonna deputy spokesperson. This meant she helped represent the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. In May 1995, President Jacques Chirac made her the speaker for the Élysée Palace. Colonna would stop her work in diplomacy for a bit after this.
After the European Constitution referendum, she started working on diplomacy again. Colonna was made Minister Delegate for European Affairs on 2 June 2005. She was the Minister for two years, until 15 May 2007.
On 26 March 2008, Catherine Colonna was made the French ambassador to UNESCO.
She also is in-charge the board of leaders of the École du Louvre. She became in-charge in May 2010.[1]
She was made the French ambassador to Italy on 14 August 2014.[2] She would work as the ambassador until 2017. In 2019, she became the French ambassador to the United Kingdom.
AwardsEdit
National awardsEdit
France: Officer of the Legion of Honour- France: Officer of the National Order of Merit
- France: Commander of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres
Foreign awardsEdit
Uruguay: Medal of the Oriental Republic of Uruguay (1997)[3]
Italy: Grand Officer of the Order of the Star of Italy (2 June 2018)[4]
