21 Facts About Martine Aubry

Martine Aubry was the First Secretary of the French Socialist Party from November 2008 to April 2012, and has been the Mayor of Lille since March 2001; she is the first woman to hold this position.

Martine Aubry is mostly known for having pushed the popular 35-hour workweek law, known as the "Loi Aubry", reducing the nominal length of the normal full-time working week from 39 to 35 hours, and the law that created Couverture maladie universelle.

Martine Aubry stepped down from her Cabinet post in 2001 to be elected Mayor of Lille in place of Pierre Mauroy.

Martine Aubry subsequently lost her seat in the National Assembly in the general election of 2002.

In November 2008, Martine Aubry was elected to lead the Socialist Party, narrowly defeating Segolene Royal.

On 28 June 2011, Martine Aubry announced she would seek the Socialist nomination to run in the 2012 presidential election, ultimately losing to Francois Hollande, her predecessor as First Secretary.

Martine Aubry was educated at the lycee Notre-Dame-des-Oiseaux and the lycee Paul-Valery.

Martine Aubry holds a degree in economic science from Pantheon-Assas University.

Martine Aubry did additional studies, gaining a diploma from the Institut des Sciences Sociales du Travail, and one from the Institut d'Etudes Politiques de Paris in 1972.

Between 1973 and 1975, Martine Aubry studied at the Ecole nationale d'administration.

In 1975 Martine Aubry became a civil administrator at the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs.

Martine Aubry was involved with the opening of a plant at Dunkerque and the closure of the aluminium works at Nogueres.

Martine Aubry was named Minister of Labour, Employment and Vocational Training by Edith Cresson, and carried on in this capacity in the Beregovoy ministry until March 1993.

Martine Aubry caused the French veto of a European decree against the use of asbestos.

In January 2010, a public health judge charged with investigating former government measures on asbestos had Martine Aubry interrogated by gendarmes in Lille.

Martine Aubry had good relations with part of the establishment, especially with her former Pechiney boss, Jean Gandois, and the Parti communiste francais.

On 28 June 2011, Martine Aubry said in a televised address from the former train station of Lille-Saint-Sauveur: "I have decided to propose my candidacy to the presidential election".

Martine Aubry's name had been mentioned as a potential prime minister for Francois Hollande.

But, after Hollande was elected President, he chose Jean-Marc Ayrault as Prime Minister; Martine Aubry refused to join his cabinet.

On several occasions, Martine Aubry expressed criticism of the Manuel Valls government, including the fact that he was chosen.

Ahead of the Socialist Party's 2017 primaries, Martine Aubry publicly endorsed Benoit Hamon as the party's candidate for the presidential election later that year.