Gérald Moussa Jean Darmanin (; born 11 October 1982) is a French politician who has been serving as Minister of Justice in the successive governments of Prime Ministers François Bayrou and Sébastien Lecornu since 2024. He previously served as Minister of the Interior in the governments of Prime Ministers Jean Castex, Élisabeth Borne and Gabriel Attal from 2020 to 2024.
A former member of The Republicans (LR), Darmanin has been a member of Renaissance (RE) since 2017. Darmanin was Mayor of Tourcoing from 2014 to 2017 and Minister of Public Action and Accounts in the first and second governments of Prime Minister Édouard Philippe from 2017 until 2020.
Early life and education Gérald Moussa Jean Darmanin was born to a working-class family with Algerian and Maltese roots.Elisa Braun (22 December 2020), Gérald Darmanin, Macron’s risky gamble Politico Europe. His father, Gérard Darmanin, managed a bistro and his mother, Annie Ouakid, worked as a cleaner.Nicholas Vinocur (2 August 2017), Gérald Darmanin, France’s new (and improved) Sarkozy Politico Europe. His maternal grandfather, Moussa Ouakid, born in 1907 in the douar (a camp of Algerian tents or small rural village of few little houses) Ouled Ghalia, in the Ouarsenis, in Algeria, was a Chief Warrant Officer in the French Army and decorated with the Médaille militaire."Ouakid Moussa, adjudant-chef, classe 1927 M, recrutement d'Alger, mie R. M. 2311; 28 ans de services, 5 campagnes, Journal officiel de la République française, 1958, p.4346". He served in the Algerian tirailleurs and was also a résistant in the French Forces of the Interior (FFI) during the Second World WarDossiers administratifs de résistantes et résistants, Musée de la résistance en ligne, Dossier GR 16 P 452368 and a Harki during the Algerian War.
Darmanin struggled academically while attending a public school in Valenciennes, so his parents decided to pay for private education in Paris. When they ran out of money for tuition, the school allowed Darmanin to finish his studies for free; in exchange, he had to spend years working as a hall monitor. After working odd jobs that included singing in the metro and waiting tables, he enrolled at Sciences Po Lille,Nicholas Vinocur (2 August 2017), Gérald Darmanin, France’s new (and improved) Sarkozy Politico Europe following a year at Institut Catholique de Paris (ICP) in its preparatory school ("prépa" or "classe préparatoire") for entrance to Institutes of Political Studies IEP (known as Sciences Po) including the courses of a first year of DEUG in History (the daughter of Fuad II the last King of Egypt Princess Fawzia-Latifa of Egypt and Michel Fayad were then his classmates).
Political career
Early beginnings Early on, Darminin worked as a parliamentary assistant for conservative MP Isabelle Vasseur before joining former minister and then Member of the European Parliament Jacques Toubon. He was taken under the wing of Toubon, who introduced him to UMP leaders such as Xavier Bertrand and helped him become chief of staff to Sarkozy's Minister of Sports, David Douillet.
In the 2012 legislative election, Darmanin was elected to the National Assembly in the tenth constituency of Nord; at the time, he was one of the country's youngest lawmakers. He ran two years later for election as Mayor of Tourcoing and won, establishing himself on the national political scene. Former President Nicolas Sarkozy brought Darmanin on board as director of his primary election campaign in 2016.
In response to the Fillon affair, Darmanin renounced his support for LR candidate François Fillon in the 2017 presidential election and resigned from his position as the party's deputy general secretary.Simeon Kerr and David Keohane (25 October 2020), France recalls ambassador from Turkey as Gulf boycotts products Financial Times.
Minister of Public Action and Accounts, 2017–2020
In May 2017, Darmanin was appointed by President Emmanuel Macron to be Minister of Public Action and Accounts in the First Philippe government. In this capacity, he supported Bruno Le Maire, the Minister of the Economy and Finance, although himself a cabinet member.Factbox: Ministers in new French government Reuters, 17 May 2017. At the time of his appointment, he was one of the youngest members in Édouard Philippe's government.Michel Rose (16 October 2018), Factbox: France's Emmanuel Macron reshuffles government – only one big move Reuters.
Soon after taking office, Darmanin announced plans to achieve 4.5 billion euros ($5.13 billion) in savings on the French government's operational budget in 2017.Ingrid Melander (11 July 2017), French state to make 4.5 billion euros in savings this year: paper Reuters. That year, he managed to bring the country's budget deficit below the EU-mandated limit of 3 percent of GDP, the first time in a decade for France. He also helped implement Macron's main tax reforms and oversaw an overhaul of tax collection.Toby Chopra (6 July 2020), Factbox: Who are the key ministers in Macron's new government Reuters.
In 2018 Darmanin was accused of sexual coercion and harassment by two women relating to alleged misconduct in 2009 and between 2014 and 2017, with one of the women alleging that while Mayor of Tourcoing he asked for sexual favours in exchange for providing her with social housing. However prosecutors dropped the case, claiming an inability to determine an "absence of consent", as Darmanin denied both allegations.BBC (16 February 2018), Factbox: France: Rape inquiry into Gérald Darmanin dropped BBC.com. In June 2020, the Court of Appeal of Paris ordered the reopening of the investigation.Matthieu Protard (11 June 2020), French court orders reopening of investigation into rape allegation against minister - source Reuters.
In 2019, Darmanin oversaw a widely discussed agreement between Google and French tax authorities, marking the end of a four-year investigation that looked at whether the company routed profits from its French activities to Ireland, which was a lower-tax jurisdiction at the time. Google eventually agreed to pay almost 1 billion euros to settle all of its litigation with the tax authorities.Harriet Agnew (12 September 2019), Google agrees to €1bn settlement with French tax authorities Financial Times.
In the early phase of the COVID-19 pandemic in France, Darmanin oversaw the government's efforts to mobilise 150 billion euros to support industries the hardest hit by the crisis as part of a response that pushed debt to record levels.Leigh Thomas (14 April 2020), Exclusive: France to hike crisis response by 10 billion euros to 110 billion - sources Reuters.Leigh Thomas (4 June 2020), France budgets 40 billion euros for crisis-hit industries Reuters.
In the 2020 municipal election, Darmanin was reelected as Mayor of Tourcoing but resigned soon thereafter.Michel Rose and John Irish (15 March 12020), Socialist Paris Mayor beats Macron's candidate in election 1st round Reuters.
Minister of the Interior, 2020–2022 In 2020, Darmanin was appointed Minister of the Interior in the government of Prime Minister Jean Castex, succeeding Christophe Castaner.
At the age of thirty-seven, Darmanin became the youngest Minister of the Interior of the Fifth Republic.
Following the murder of Samuel Paty by an Islamic terrorist in October 2020, Darmanin announced a large police sweep against several individuals. He also ordered the closing of the Pantin mosque in the Parisian suburb Seine-Saint-Denis after it re-broadcast a video containing false allegations about Paty.Victor Mallet (19 October 2020), Islamist killing prompts French crackdown on militants Financial Times.Merlin Sugue (20 October 2020), French minister requests closure of mosque that denounced murdered teacher Politico Europe. Darmanin subsequently ordered the dissolution of other associations with ties to radical IslamRym Momtaz (21 October 2020), Macron steps up fight against radical Islam (and his critics) Politico Europe. and deemed "separatist".
In response to the 2020 Nice stabbing committed by a Tunisian migrant, Darmanin negotiated deportation procedures with Tunisia.Tarek Amara (6 November 2020), Tunisia will accept deportees from France if judicial rights are guaranteed Reuters.
In February 2020, Darmanin sponsored a bill that French lawmakers said they hoped would uproot radical Islam in France. Darmanin said the aim of the bill is to stop "an Islamist hostile takeover targeting Muslims". In March 2021, Darmanin went to court to prevent the building of a new mosque in Strasbourg, arguing dark money was involved in the project."Nouvelle mosquée à Strasbourg : Darmanin saisit la justice" (in French), Le Point, 23 March 2021. In 2022, Darmanin closed the Islamic website La Voie Droite using the 2021 legislation.Layli Foroudi (26 January 2022), France targets groups, websites with expanded powers under anti-terror law Reuters. Also based on that legislation, he filed a successive objection against the city of Grenoble's decision to allow the use of body-covering "burkini" bathing suits for women in municipal pools in May 2022.Geert De Clercq (25 May 2022), French court scraps rule allowing burkinis in Grenoble swimming pools Reuters.
In early 2021, Darmanin also oversaw a ban of the Génération identitaire group, the youth wing of Bloc Identitaire, arguing that the organisation promoted "an ideology inciting hatred, violence and discrimination on the basis of one's origin, race or religion".Jules Darmanin (3 March 2021), France bans far-right group Generation Identity Politico Europe.
In May 2021, Darmanin asked the Paris police to block a planned pro-Palestinian rally amid the Israel–Palestine crisis; he urged police chiefs across France to remain vigilant, noting that "serious disturbances to public order were seen in 2014."
Following Jean Castex's resignation in May 2022, Macron appointed Élisabeth Borne, Minister of Labour and Darmanin's former colleague, as Prime Minister from 20 May 2022. Darmanin's position in the new government remained unchanged, with his responsibilities as Minister of the Interior.
Shortly after the new government was sworn in, the 2022 UEFA Champions League final at the Stade de France in Paris was marred by a huge scandal. Following the 2022 UEFA Champions League Final chaos many, including Borne, called for Darmanin's resignation. However, French President Emmanuel Macron stood by his interior minister wholeheartedly, to the extent that he survived the crisis with his powers strengthened in an almost unprecedented way.
By 2023, news media considered Darmanin one of Borne's main rivals inside the government and a potential candidate to succeed her.Paul de Villepin (25 August 2023), World’s richest man lobbied Macron to ditch prime minister Politico Europe.
Darmanin left the interior ministry in September 2024.
Minister of Justice, 2024–present In December 2024, Darmanin was named justice minister in the Bayrou government.
In April 2025, Darmanin said in an interview that he wants to be president and was “working” on a platform.Gérald Darmanin : "Oui j'ai envie d'être président de la République" La Voix du Nord, 25 April 2025.Victor Goury-Laffont and Elisa Bertholomey (30 April 2025), Politico Europe.
Political positions In the past, Darmanin has openly spoken out and voted against same-sex marriage in France,Gérald Darmanin rattrapé par ses anciens tweets contre le mariage homosexuel Le Parisien, 18 May 2017. and criticized the influence of gender studies in identity politics. He reportedly meets with or reads the writings of influential voices from the far end of the political spectrum, such as essayists Alain Finkielkraut or Éric Zemmour.