View source for Pierre Moscovici

{{Short description|French politician (born 1957)}}
{{Expand French|Jean-Louis Martinoty|date=March 2019|topic=gov}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2020}}
{{Use British English|date=January 2020}}
{{ infobox officeholder
| name           = Pierre Moscovici
| image          = Moscovici EC Portrait 2014.jpg
| caption        = Official portrait, 2014
| office         = First President of the [[Court of Audit (France)|Court of Audit]]
| term_start     = 3 June 2020
| president      = [[Emmanuel Macron]]
| predecessor    = [[Didier Migaud]]
| office2        = [[European Commissioner for Economic and Financial Affairs, Taxation and Customs]]
| 1blankname2    = Commission
| 1namedata2     = [[Juncker Commission|Juncker]]
| term_start2    = 1 November 2014
| term_end2      = 30 November 2019
| predecessor2   = [[Algirdas Šemeta]]
| successor2     = [[Paolo Gentiloni]]
| office3        = [[Minister of Finance (France)|Minister of Finance]]
| term_start3    = 16 May 2012
| term_end3      = 2 April 2014
| president3     = [[François Hollande]]
| primeminister3 = [[Jean-Marc Ayrault]]
| predecessor3   = [[François Baroin]]
| successor3     = [[Michel Sapin]]
| office4        = [[Deputy (France)|Member]] of the [[National Assembly (France)|National Assembly]]<br />for [[Doubs]]'s [[Doubs's 4th constituency|4th constituency]]
| term_start4    = 3 May 2014
| term_end4      = 31 October 2014
| predecessor4   = [[Frédéric Barbier (politician)|Frédéric Barbier]]
| successor4     = Frédéric Barbier
| term_start5    = 20 June 2007
| term_end5      = 21 July 2012
| predecessor5   = [[Irène Tharin]]
| successor5     = Frédéric Barbier
| term_start6    = 1 June 1997
| term_end6      = 4 July 1997
| predecessor6   = Jean Geney
| successor6     = Joseph Tyrode
| birth_date     = {{birth date and age|1957|09|16|df=yes}}
| birth_place    = [[Paris]], [[French Fourth Republic|France]]
| party          = [[Socialist Party (France)|Socialist Party]] (until 2020)
| spouse         = {{marriage|Anne-Michelle Basteri|2015}}
| children       = 1
| parents        = [[Serge Moscovici]]<br>Marie Broomberg
| education      = [[Lycée Condorcet]]
| alma_mater     = [[Sciences Po]], [[École nationale d'administration|ÉNA]]
}}

'''Pierre Moscovici''' ({{IPA|fr|pjɛʁ mɔskɔvisi}}, {{IPA|ro|moskoˈvitʃʲ|lang}}; born 16 September 1957) is a French politician who served as the [[European Commissioner for Economy|European Commissioner for Economic and Financial Affairs, Taxation and Customs]] from 2014 to 2019.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Mérand|first=Frédéric|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=j8owEAAAQBAJ|title=The Political Commissioner: A European Ethnography|date=2021|publisher=Oxford University Press|isbn=978-0-19-264624-8|language=en}}</ref> He previously served as [[Minister of Finance]] from 2012 to 2014 and as Minister for European Affairs between 1997 and 2002.

Previously a member of the [[Trotskyist]] group the [[Revolutionary Communist League (France)|Revolutionary Communist League]], Moscovici joined the [[Socialist Party (France)|French Socialist Party]] (PS) in 1984 and has since that time been a member of the Departmental Council of [[Doubs (department)|Doubs]] and of the [[French Parliament]] and the [[European Parliament]].

In May 2014 he was entrusted by the Prime Minister of France with a six-month mission to assess how European policies can better contribute to growth and employment. In July 2014 French President [[François Hollande]] proposed him to be France's representative in the next [[European Commission]]. In September 2014, he was named as European Commissioner for Economic and Financial Affairs, Taxation and Customs by President-designate of the [[European Commission]] [[Jean-Claude Juncker]].

==Early life and education==
Born in Paris, Moscovici is the son of the influential Romanian Jewish [[Social psychology|social psychologist]] [[Serge Moscovici]] and of the Polish [[Psychoanalysis|psychoanalyst]] Marie Bromberg-Moscovici.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://translate.google.com/translate?sl=fr&tl=en&js=n&prev=_t&hl=en&ie=UTF-8&layout=2&eotf=1&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww1.alliancefr.com%2Fpierre-moscovici-desir-d-avenir-news0%2C39%2C3729.html|title=Google Translate}}</ref>

Moscovici obtained his [[Baccalauréat]] at the [[Lycée Condorcet]] in 1974, a [[DEA (former French degree)|DEA]] in economics and in philosophy, and he graduated from [[Sciences Po Paris]] and the [[École nationale d'administration]], where he studied under [[Dominique Strauss-Kahn]], who became a friend and mentor in politics. He was a president of ''À gauche en Europe'', a group founded by Strauss-Kahn and [[Michel Rocard]] and also created his own group "Besoin de Gauche".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.besoindegauche.fr/|title=besoindegauche.fr}}</ref>

After graduating from the [[École nationale d'administration]] in 1984, Moscovici was appointed to the [[Court of Audit (France)|Court of Audit]], of which he is currently a senior member.

==Political career==
===Early political career===
Initially active in the [[Revolutionary Communist League (France)|Revolutionary Communist League]], he left in 1984 to join the PS and, in 1986, became secretary of the "experts' group" created by [[Claude Allègre]].

In 1988, he moved on to the Ministry for National Education in Minister Lionel Jospin's cabinet, first as conseiller technique, then as chargé de mission.

From 1990 to 1994, he headed the Public Service Modernisation and Financing Department at the Commissariat général du Plan – French Planning Office.

=== Member of the European Parliament ===
From 1994 to 1997, Moscovici was a Member of the European Parliament.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.europarl.europa.eu/meps/fr/1983/PIERRE_MOSCOVICI_home.html|title=Pierre MOSCOVICI}}</ref> In parliament, he served on the [[Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs]]. In addition to his committee assignments, he was part of the Parliament's delegation for relations with the countries of Central America and Mexico.<ref>[https://www.europarl.europa.eu/meps/en/1983/PIERRE_MOSCOVICI/history/4#detailedcardmep Pierre Moscovici] [[European Parliament]].</ref>

=== Minister delegate for European Affairs ===
Elected to the French Parliament from the Doubs département in 1997, he went on to become a Member of the [[Franche-Comté]] Regional Council from 1998 to 2004, and of the Doubs département General Council from 1994 to 2002.

From 1997 to 2002, Moscovici was Minister delegate for European Affairs in the government of [[Lionel Jospin]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/affichTexte.do?cidTexte=JORFTEXT000000566649&dateTexte=|title=DECRET du 4 JUIN 1997 RELATIF A LA COMPOSITION DU GOUVERNEMENT – Legifrance}}</ref> At the request of Chirac, he represented the French authorities at the [[Convention on the Future of Europe]] in 2002.<ref>Simon Coss (3 July 2002), [https://www.politico.eu/article/moscovici-fights-to-keep-convention-seat/ Moscovici fights to keep Convention seat] ''[[European Voice]]''.</ref>

=== Member of the European Parliament ===
On 20 July 2004, Moscovici was elected one of the 14 [[President of the European Parliament|Vice-presidents of the European Parliament]] and was re-elected on 17 January 2007.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.europarl.europa.eu/members/archive/alphaOrder/view.do?language=EN&id=1983|title=Directory}}</ref> In addition, he served on the [[European Parliament Committee on Foreign Affairs|Committee on Foreign Affairs]].

Of Romanian origin, he was one of the supporters of Romania's EU integration. He stated that he identifies itself as a half Romanian.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.hotnews.ro/stiri-arhiva-1235335-tatal-raportorului-moscovici-fost-terorizat-brucan.htm|title = Tatal raportorului Moscovici a fost terorizat de Brucan - Arhiva noiembrie 2007 - HotNews.ro|date = 25 March 2005}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://adevarul.ro/international/europa/exclusiv-pierre-moscovici-fiul-serge-moscovici-am-fost-crescut-vreoreferinta-traditiile-romaniei-insa-pasa-deoriginile-mele-1_609a70bc5163ec4271ec6bd6/index.html|title = EXCLUSIV Pierre Moscovici, fiul lui Serge Moscovici: "Am fost crescut fără vreo referinţă la tradiţiile României, însă îmi pasă de originile mele"| date=15 May 2021 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.zf.ro/politica/cine-este-romanul-pierre-moscovici-9990881|title=Cine este "românul" Pierre Moscovici}}</ref>

=== Member of the French National Assembly ===
From 2007 to 2012, Moscovici was a Member of the French National Assembly (4th constituency in the Doubs), serving on the Committee on Foreign Affairs, and subsequently the Finance Committee. He also served as vice-president of the Assembly's Committee on European Affairs.{{citation needed|date=January 2025}}

He was President of the Pays de Montbéliard Agglomération (PMA – Greater Montbéliard Authority) from 2008 to 2012.{{citation needed|date=January 2025}}

In 2011, Moscovici endorsed [[François Hollande]] and ran his successful campaign for the [[2012 French presidential election]].<ref>James Kanter (17 December 2014), [https://www.nytimes.com/2014/12/18/business/international/pierre-moscovici-embodies-a-softer-approach-to-europes-recovery.html Pierre Moscovici Embodies a Softer Approach to Europe’s Recovery] ''[[New York Times]]''.</ref> In the subsequent [[2012 French legislative election|legislative election]], Moscovici was re-elected to the National Assembly from the 4th constituency in the Doubs.{{citation needed|date=January 2025}}

Moscovici served as a Member of the French National Assembly. In May 2014 he was entrusted by the Prime Minister of France with a six-month mission to assess how European policies can better contribute to growth and employment.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.lepoint.fr/politique/en-bonne-place-pour-bruxelles-moscovici-herite-d-une-mission-parlementaire-06-05-2014-1819634_20.php|title=En bonne place pour Bruxelles, Moscovici hérite d'une mission parlementaire|author=Le Point, magazine|work=Le Point|date=6 May 2014}}</ref>

=== Minister for Finance and Economy ===
Moscovici served as France's Minister for Finance and Economy<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gouvernement.fr/gouvernement/pierre-moscovici|title=Composition du Gouvernement – Le Gouvernement et les Institutions |work=Gouvernement.fr}}</ref> from May 2012 to April 2014.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-18090173|title=Profile: Hollande's government for France|date=17 May 2012|publisher=BBC News}}</ref>

Ahead of the Socialist Party's [[Toulouse Congress, 2012|2012 convention in Toulouse]], Moscovici publicly endorsed [[Harlem Désir]] as candidate to succeed [[Martine Aubry]] at the party's leadership.<ref>Caroline Vigoureux (7 September 2012), [https://www.lejdd.fr/Politique/PS-Manuel-Valls-soutient-Harlem-Desir-552438-3129605 Face à Cambadélis, Désir engrange les soutiens] ''[[Le Journal du Dimanche]]''.</ref>

Moscovici was among the guests invited to the [[state dinner]] hosted by [[President of the United States|U.S. President]] [[Barack Obama]] in honor of Hollande at the [[White House]] on 11 February 2014.<ref>[https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/the-press-office/2014/02/11/expected-attendees-tonight-s-state-dinner Expected Attendees at Tonight’s State Dinner] [[Office of the First Lady of the United States]], press release of 11 February 2014.</ref>

== Commissioner for Economic and Financial Affairs, Taxation and Customs ==
In July 2014 [[President of France|President]] [[Francois Hollande]] nominated Moscovici to be France's candidate for the [[Juncker Commission|European Commission]] led by [[Jean-Claude Juncker]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-eu-commission-moscovici-idUSKBN0FZ1C420140730|title=Moscovici says confident will have important economic role in EU Commission|author=Ingrid Melander and Emmanuel Jarry|date=30 July 2014|work=Reuters}}</ref><ref>Toby Vogel (29 July 2014), [https://www.politico.eu/article/moscovici-named-as-frances-european-commissioner/ Moscovici named as France’s European commissioner] ''[[Politico Europe]]''.</ref> Juncker subsequently nominated Moscovici as Commissioner for Economic and Financial Affairs, Taxation and Customs.

Moscovici served as Commissioner from 2014 until 2019. In this capacity, he was in charge of the application of the [[Stability and Growth Pact]], as well as ensuring the economic soundness of Commission proposals and deepening the [[Economic and Monetary Union of the European Union]] to create the conditions for jobs, growth and investment, and encouraging further structural reforms. On taxation matters, he was responsible for developing a [[value added tax]] system at the European level, improving the functioning of the internal market in both direct and indirect taxation and fighting tax fraud and tax evasion. His responsibilities also included the development and management of an efficient [[European Union Customs Union]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://ec.europa.eu/commission/sites/cwt/files/commissioner_mission_letters/moscovici_en.pdf |title=European Commission President Juncker's Mission Letter to Pierre Moscovici|publisher=European Commission}}</ref>

By 2017, Moscovici openly advocated a fully formed [[eurozone]] finance minister, and admitted that he would be interested in that position. In the meantime, the as Commissioner for Economic and Financial Affairs, Taxation and Customs should also assume the presidency of the [[Eurogroup]].<ref>Ryan Heath (14 June 2017), [https://www.politico.eu/article/pierre-moscovici-finance-commissioner-should-run-eurogroup-eu-confidential-ryan-heath/ Pierre Moscovici: Finance commissioner should also run Eurogroup] ''[[Politico Europe]]''.</ref>

In a 2018 letter to [[Sergei Stanishev]], then chairman of the [[Party of European Socialists]] (PES), Moscovici ruled himself out of the race to succeed [[Jean-Claude Juncker]] and become the commission's next president, "due to profound disagreements with [the French Socialist Party’s] political line and strategy on Europe."<ref>Bjarke Smith-Meyer (4 October 2018), [https://www.politico.eu/article/pierre-moscovici-rules-out-commission-presidency/ Pierre Moscovici rules out Commission presidency] ''[[Politico Europe]]''.</ref>

==Wiretapping by NSA==
In 2015, [[WikiLeaks]] revealed that the [[National Security Agency|U.S. National Security Agency]] wiretapped Moscovici's communication during his time as Minister of Finance.<ref>Leila Abboud and Gregory Blanchier (30 June 2015) [https://www.reuters.com/article/idUSKCN0P92QV20150630 NSA wiretapped two French finance ministers: Wikileaks] ''[[Reuters]]''.</ref>

==Other activities==
* [[Paris School of International Affairs]] (PSIA), Member of the Strategic Committee<ref>[https://www.sciencespo.fr/psia/content/psia-strategic-committee.html Strategic Committee] [[Paris School of International Affairs]] (PSIA).</ref>

==Overview==
===Governmental function===
*Minister of Economy and Finances, June 2012 – April 2014
*Minister of Economy, Finances, and Foreign Trade, May 2012 – June 2012
*Minister of European Affairs, 1997–2002.

===Electoral mandates===

====European Parliament====
*Member of [[European Parliament]], 1994–1997 (elected in the [[National Assembly of France]] in 1997, and became minister) 2004–2007 (Resignation, re-elected member of the [[National Assembly of France]] in 2007). Elected in 1994, re-elected in 2004.

====National Assembly of France====
*Member of the [[National Assembly of France]] for [[Doubs]], elected in 1997, but became minister in June) 2007–2012 (became minister in May).{{clarify|date=February 2015}} Elected in 1997, re-elected in 2007, 2012.

====Regional Council====
*Regional councillor of [[Franche-Comté]], 1998–2004.

====General Council====
*General councillor of [[Doubs]], 1994–2001.

====Municipal Council====
*Municipal councillor of [[Valentigney]], 2008–2014.
*Municipal councillor of [[Montbéliard]], 1995–2008. Re-elected in 2001.

====Agglomeration community Council====
*President of the [[Agglomeration community]] of the Pays de Montbéliard, 2008–2012 (resignation).
*Member of the [[Agglomeration community]] of the Pays de Montbéliard, 2008–2014.

==Opinion==
"We sincerely hope that [[Greece]] remains in the Eurozone", Moscovici said.<ref>[http://en.europeonline-magazine.eu/dont-violate-the-bailout-deal_213506.html Don't violate the bailout deal], Europe Online Magazine, 4 May 2012</ref>

==See also==
* [[Ireland as a tax haven]]
* [[Double Irish arrangement]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{commons category-inline}}
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20130429154216/http://www.pierremoscovici.fr/ Personal blog]

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{{s-bef|before=[[François Baroin]]}}
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{{s-aft|after=[[Michel Sapin]]}}
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{{s-ttl|title=[[List of European Commissioners by nationality#France|French European Commissioner]]|years=2014–2019}}
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{{s-aft|rows=2|after=[[Paolo Gentiloni]]}}
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{{s-bef|before=[[Didier Migaud]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=First President of the [[Court of Audit (France)|Court of Audit]]|years=2020–present}}
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{{Finance Ministers of France}}
{{Ayrault}}
{{Juncker Commission}}
{{EU Finance Commissioners}}
{{European Commissioners from France}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Moscovici, Pierre}}
[[Category:1957 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Lycée Condorcet alumni]]
[[Category:Sciences Po alumni]]
[[Category:École nationale d'administration alumni]]
[[Category:Judges of the Court of Audit (France)]]
[[Category:Eurogroup]]
[[Category:French European commissioners]]
[[Category:Finance ministers of France]]
[[Category:French people of Romanian-Jewish descent]]
[[Category:Government and politics articles needing translation from French Wikipedia]]
[[Category:Government ministers of France]]
[[Category:Jewish French politicians]]
[[Category:MEPs for East France 2004–2009]]
[[Category:Politicians from Paris]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Order of the Cross of Terra Mariana, 1st Class]]
[[Category:Revolutionary Communist League (France) politicians]]
[[Category:Socialist Party (France) MEPs]]
[[Category:Deputies of the 13th National Assembly of the French Fifth Republic]]
[[Category:Deputies of the 14th National Assembly of the French Fifth Republic]]
[[Category:European commissioners (2014–2019)]]