Richard Ferrand

Richard Ferrand (; born 1 July 1962) is a French politician of La République En Marche! (LREM) who served as President of the National Assembly from 2018 to 2022. He had served as a member of the National Assembly for Finistère's 6th constituency from 2012 to 2022. A longtime member of the Socialist Party, he was LREM's General Secretary from October 2016. He briefly served as Minister for the Cohesion of Territories between May and June 2017 before resigning due to nepotism accusations. Following his resignation, he became the leader of the party's group in the National Assembly in June 2017 and then was elected to the Chamber's Presidency in September 2018. In June 2022, he became the third incumbent presiding officer of the French lower house in history to be unseated after distant predecessors Raymond Forni in 2002 and Armand Marrast in 1849 (during the French Second Republic). Early life Ferrand was born on 1 July 1962 in Rodez, France. Ferrand graduated high school in Bünde, Germany and studied German and Law at Toulouse 1 University Capitole and then Université Paris-Descartes where he became a PS member at the age of 18. After leaving university, Ferrand worked as a journalist for multiple publications including Center Presse, Auto Moto, Circuler, Vie publique, La Dépêche du Midi and Le Monde. In 1991, Ferrand became the communications advisor for Kofi Yamgnane, the then- secretary of state to the Minister of Social Affairs and Integration.