He is likely one of the pillars of the French presidency of the Council of the European Union that France has held since January 1 for six months: Philippe Léglise-Costa has been, for 4 years, the everlasting consultant of France to the EU. Voice of France in Brussels, he speaks and negotiates, on his behalf, with the 27, the Fee and the European Parliament. Each very technical and really political, the diplomat is a really nice connoisseur of the mysteries of the EU.
« A piece of rationalization, conviction, negotiation »: It’s in these phrases that the model new French Ambassador to the European establishments in Brussels spoke of his place on France Tv on the finish of 2017.
His abilities as a negotiator, Philippe Léglise-Costa deployed them, lengthy earlier than being appointed to one of the eminent positions in French diplomacy, specifically when the nation was chairing the Council of the European Union, in 2008 , below the presidency of Nicolas Sarkozy. As quantity two of the Everlasting Illustration of France to the EU, Philippe Léglise-Costa needed to lead the longest assembly of the Committee of Deputy Everlasting Representatives (Coreper 1) in historical past: 22 hours.
« On the time, many ministers and ministers from different international locations keep in mind seeing him working day and night time to acquire an settlement on the “Local weather vitality pack”. », Says Sébastien Maillard, director of the Jacques Delors Institute. “ As a result of his lengthy European expertise, he’s very aware of the problems. Along with being very sharp, he has a view that’s each panoramic, but additionally over time and is aware of the recordsdata in all their genesis. ».
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An atypical course
55-year-old Philippe Léglise-Costa is aware of the mysteries of the European Union by coronary heart. From the beginning of his profession, he was immersed within the highest spheres of energy, with Hubert Védrine, Minister of International Affairs, or Jean-Pierre Jouyet, Secretary of State for European Affairs, of which he was chief of employees.
For a diplomat, the present ambassador of France to the EU, shows a considerably atypical course. It didn’t undergo Sciences Po or ENA, however via the École Polytechnique and the Ponts et Chaussées. His coaching as an engineer may be an asset in finishing up the duties incumbent on him: ” The European recordsdata are recordsdata with a excessive diploma of technicality, with an entire sequence of norms of requirements, notes Sébastien Maillard. Nonetheless, having a scientific tradition can be very helpful to totally perceive the substance of what we’re negotiating ».
Michel Mangenot, director of the Institute for European Research on the College of Paris VIII and creator of the ebook Who governs the European Union?, recollects that its integration into the diplomatic corps came about in 2001, by a former everlasting consultant “ who had taken him below his wing », Pierre de Boissieu, ” a legend in Brussels “. The latter is the French negotiator for the Maastricht Treaty, concluded in December 1991 and might be everlasting consultant in Brussels between 1993 and 1999.
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Philippe Léglise-Costa, who grew to become François Hollande’s Europe advisor in 2012, “ accumulates plenty of expertise and energy », Underlines Michel Mangenot. As a result of along with being Sherpa of the President of the Republic, he’s additionally Secretary Common of European Affairs (SGAE), below the authority of the Prime Minister. This focus of capabilities annoys multiple and he finally ends up giving up his position of sherpa of the President of the Republic in December 2014.
« In actuality, he all the time continued to arrange for the European Council with the Head of State », tells Michel Mangenot. If it not seems within the organizational chart of the cupboard of the President of the Republic, « it has not likely been changed “. On the time, the financial advisor of the Élysée, Laurence Boone was appointed sherpa, taking over “ financial, monetary, multilateral and European affairs ». « It was a manner of claiming he wasn’t changed completely », Analyzes Michel Mangenot.
A “should for European affairs”
The election of Emmanuel Macron adjustments the scenario considerably for Philippe Léglise-Costa. The 2 males opposed, once they have been stationed on the Elysee Palace below François Hollande, even when the diplomat repeatedly denies it. “ They don’t seem to be family members. The decreased crew of the President of the Republic for European affairs is Clément Beaune, who was his Europe adviser even earlier than the marketing campaign, when he was in Bercy », Says Michel Mangenot. There may be “ no shut relationship of belief between him and the president », emphasizes Sébastien Maillard, « the true man of confidence for Europe, the one who weighs in on choices, is Clément Beaune », The present Secretary of State for European Affairs.
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Emmanuel Macron decides, nevertheless, to nominate Philippe Léglise-Costa to the everlasting illustration of France to the European establishments in 2017, changing Ambassador Pierre Sellal, who’s asserting his retirement rights. “The rationale he was appointed was that he had change into a fixture in European affairs, his profile being unanimously revered in Brussels. », Affirms Michel Mangenot.« To exchange Pierre Sellal, the President of the Republic had no different answer than to nominate Philippe Léglise-Costa, who additionally embodies from this standpoint, a sure continuity of the State and a really nice management of the recordsdata Europeans».
The position of the everlasting consultant of France in Brussels is all of the extra vital because the French presidency of the Council of the European Union coincides with the presidential election. ” He’ll actually have a key position, after we change authorities and even president», Says Sébastien Maillard. For the director ofJacques Delors Institute, Philppe Léglise-Costa «will then guarantee continuity in Brussels. He may actually exchange a minister within the Council ”.
Bolstered, the everlasting illustration of France has been working at full capability for months. Ambassador Philippe Léglise-Costa methodically constructed and arranged the crew of negotiators and consultants who, since January 1, have been main the French presidency of the European Union in Brussels. This system is loaded: the French negotiators must handle 250 legislative proposals and manage greater than 2000 conferences.
