Catherine Colonna

French diplomat and politician

Catherine Colonna (born 16 April 1956) is a French politician. Colonna has been the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs since 2022. 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
Minister of Europe and Foreign Affairs
Assumed office
20 May 2022
Prime MinisterÉlisabeth Borne
Preceded byJean-Yves Le Drian
Ambassador of France to the United Kingdom
In office
2 September 2019 – 20 May 2022
PresidentEmmanuel Macron
Preceded byJean-Pierre Jouyet
Succeeded byTBD
Permanent Representative of France to OECD
In office
4 October 2017 – 2 September 2019
PresidentEmmanuel Macron
Preceded byPierre Duquesne
Succeeded byJean-Pierre Jouyet
Ambassador of France to Italy
In office
1 September 2014 – 21 September 2017
PresidentFrançois Hollande
Emmanuel Macron
Preceded byAlain Le Roy
Succeeded byChristian Masset
Permanent Representative of France to UNESCO
In office
26 March 2008 – 22 December 2010
PresidentNicolas Sarkozy
Preceded byJoëlle Bourgois
Succeeded byRama Yade
Minister for European Affairs
In office
2 June 2005 – 15 May 2007
Prime MinisterDominique de Villepin
Preceded byClaudie Haigneré
Succeeded byJean-Pierre Jouyet
Personal details
Born (1956-04-16) 16 April 1956 (age 67)
Tours, France
Alma materUniversity of Tours
Sciences Po
École nationale d'administration

Biography change

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.

Awards change

National awards change

Foreign awards change

References change

  1. Ecole du Louvre, Board of governors
  2. https://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/affichTexte.do;jsessionid=?cidTexte=JORFTEXT000029374929&dateTexte=&oldAction=dernierJO&categorieLien=id
  3. "Resolución N° 1212/997". www.impo.com.uy. Retrieved 2020-11-27.
  4. "Le onorificenze della Repubblica Italiana".