Nadine Morano (née Pucelle; born 6 November 1963) is a French politician of the Republicans who has been serving as Member of the European Parliament since 2014. She was previously a member of the National Assembly, and a minister under François Fillon.
Early life Morano was born Nadine Yvonne Pucelle on 6 November 1963 in Nancy. Her father was a truck driver. Her mother, Monique Generelli, was a switchboard operator, daughter of a Piedmontese mason from Verbano-Cusio-Ossola. Her original last name was changed to Pugelle by a ministerial decree in 1976.
Political career Morano served as a member of the National Assembly from 2002 to 2008, representing Meurthe-et-Moselle. In parliament, she was a member of the Committee on Cultural Affairs (2002-2007) and the Defense Committee (2007-2008).Nadine Morano National Assembly.
Morano served as the Deputy Minister for Apprenticeship and Vocational Training under the Minister of Labour, Employment and Health, Xavier Bertrand. She was previously Secretary of State for Family in the government of François Fillon on 18 March 2008.
Member of the European Parliament, 2014–present Morano was elected Member of the European Parliament in the 2014 European elections, representing East France. She has since been serving on the Committee on Industry, Research and Energy. In addition to her committee assignments, she is a member of the Parliament's delegation for relations with the Pan-African Parliament (PAP).
Ahead of the 2015 French regional elections, the Republicans' chair Nicolas Sarkozy removed Morano – then considered one of his staunchest allies – from the party's list after she state that France was a "white race" country that must stay that way.Ingrid Melander (30 September 2015), France's Sarkozy disowns ally over 'white race' comments Reuters.
Later that year, Morano announced her intention to compete for a presidential nomination in the Republicans' primaries for the 2017 presidential elections. She later supported François Fillon as her party's candidate before urging him to withdraw his bid amid the so-called Fillon affair.Elaine Ganley (4 March 2017), French candidate going it alone amid campaign defections Associated Press. In the Republicans' 2017 leadership election, she endorsed Laurent Wauquiez.Ludovic Vigogne (11 October 2017), La liste des 136 parrains de Laurent Wauquiez L'Opinion.
Ahead of the 2022 presidential elections, Morano publicly declared her support for Michel Barnier as the Republicans' candidate.Emmanuel Galiero (23 November 2021), Nadine Morano: «Pourquoi j’ai décidé de soutenir Michel Barnier» Le Parisien.
In 2023, the Republicans' chairman Éric Ciotti appointed Morano as member of his shadow cabinet and put her in charge of the party's immigration policies.Christine Ollivier (13 May 2023), EXCLUSIF. Éric Ciotti dévoile son contre-gouvernement Le Journal du Dimanche.
She was re-elected as an MEP following the 2024 European Parliament election in France.
Controversy Morano is a frequent user of social media whose outspoken style and running commentary are a frequent source of mockery. French daily Le Monde has created a web page, dubbed the "Moranator," that generates real phrases the politician has used and allows visitors to post them to their Twitter pages.
In September 2015, Morano quoted General Charles de Gaulle on On n'est pas couché, saying that "France is a Judeo-Christian country, of white race". This resulted in her removal as head of the Les Républicains (the former UMP) list for the regional elections in Meurthe-et-Moselle.
In 2019, Morano faced allegations of racism when she criticized the way government spokesperson Sibeth Ndiaye dressed as "circus clothes", adding that Ndiaye became a French citizen "only" three years before, "clearly with big gaps over French culture, unworthy of her government post". Gilles Le Gendre, who chaired the La République En Marche group in the National Assembly at the time, called on Morano to withdraw her comments and apologize or be prosecuted.Elaine Sciolino (2 October 2019), She Speaks for France’s President. And ‘Explosions of Color.’ The New York Times.
In 2020, Morano stated that French actress Aïssa Maïga, who was born in Senegal, should "go back to Africa" if she "was not happy with seeing so many white people in France".
Recognition On 6 November 2007, Morano was among the guests invited to the state dinner hosted by U.S. President George W. Bush in honor of President Nicolas Sarkozy at the White House.Guest List for the Social Dinner in Honor of His Excellency Nicolas Sarkozy President of the French Republic Office of the First Lady of the United States, press release of 6 November 2007.
Personal life Morano has been divorced; she has two sons and a daughter. One of her sons, Grégoire, died in July 2024 at the age of 33.
External links Official web site
References