Catherine Colonna
Catherine Colonna (born 16 April 1956) is a French politician. Colonna was the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs from 2022 to 2024. She was the Ambassador of France to the United Kingdom from 2019 to 2022. Before this, she was the Ambassador of France to Italy between 2014 and 2017.
Catherine Colonna | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Colonna in 2023 | |
| Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs | |
| In office 20 May 2022 – 11 January 2024 | |
| Prime Minister | Élisabeth Borne |
| Preceded by | Jean-Yves Le Drian |
| Succeeded by | Stéphane Séjourné |
| Ambassador of France to the United Kingdom | |
| In office 2 September 2019 – 20 May 2022 | |
| President | Emmanuel Macron |
| Preceded by | Jean-Pierre Jouyet |
| Succeeded by | Hélène Tréheux-Duchêne |
| Permanent Representative of France to OECD | |
| In office 4 October 2017 – 2 September 2019 | |
| President | Emmanuel Macron |
| Preceded by | Pierre Duquesne |
| Succeeded by | Jean-Pierre Jouyet |
| Ambassador of France to Italy | |
| In office 1 September 2014 – 21 September 2017 | |
| President | François Hollande Emmanuel Macron |
| Preceded by | Alain Le Roy |
| Succeeded by | Christian Masset |
| Permanent Representative of France to UNESCO | |
| In office 26 March 2008 – 22 December 2010 | |
| President | Nicolas Sarkozy |
| Preceded by | Joëlle Bourgois |
| Succeeded by | Rama Yade |
| Minister for European Affairs | |
| In office 2 June 2005 – 15 May 2007 | |
| Prime Minister | Dominique de Villepin |
| Preceded by | Claudie Haigneré |
| Succeeded by | Jean-Pierre Jouyet |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 16 April 1956 Tours, France |
| Alma mater | University of Tours Sciences Po ENA |
Biography
changeColonna 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.
Awards
changeNational awards
change
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 awards
change
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]
