[Ip-health] MSF Co-founder, Bernard Kouchner, to be named French Foreign Minister

[Ira Glazer]

[This could have interesting implications for France's attitude towards
TRIPS, Doha, and access to medicines]

http://news.independent.co.uk/europe/article2542364.ece

By John Lichfield in Paris
Published: 15 May 2007

In a conciliatory gesture to left-wing voters, France's president-elect,
Nicolas Sarkozy, has offered the high-profile post of Foreign Minister
to the popular Socialist politician, Bernard Kouchner.

M. Kouchner, 67, one of the founders of M=E9d=E9cins sans Fronti=E8res, is
likely to be named as part of the first government of the Sarkozy era at
the end of this week.

The choice is somewhat surprising. As a former UN administrator in
Kosovo, M. Kouchner is reasonably experienced in foreign affairs.

He was, however, one of the leaders of the May 1968 left-wing, student
revolt, whose "moral legacy" was savaged by M. Sarkozy during the recent
presidential campaign.

M. Sarkozy had been criticised for mounting a divisive campaign, which
often seemed to appeal to the tribal instincts of the right. He has
promised to govern for "the whole of France" and, therefore, to open his
administration to senior figures from the opposition.

In naming his first government, M. Sarkozy has to reconcile three
conflicting campaign promises: to give half the senior posts to women;
to open his administration to the left and centre; and to reduce the
number of full ministerial positions to 15. To solve this conundrum, M.
Sarkozy will have to disappoint many senior figures and close allies on
the centre-right.

Angry words are already said to have been exchanged with the Defence
Minister, Mich=E8le Alliot-Marie, who had expected a move to foreign affair=
s.

The foreign affairs job was also discussed with Hubert V=E9drine, who held
the post under the Socialist Prime Minister, Lionel Jospin, in
1997-2002. A number of sources said yesterday, however, that the final
choice would be doctor-turned politician M. Kouchner, a popular figure
in France....