Dominique Reynié
Dominique Reynié (born 17 June 1960, Rodez, France) is a French academic. He is a professor of political science at the Institut d'Etudes Politiques de Paris (Sciences Po Paris).[1]
Dominique Reynié
Sciences-Po Paris - Ph.D. in Political Science
Academic
Political scientist
Director General of the Fondation pour l’innovation politique (Foundation for Political Innovation)
Biography[edit]
Education[edit]
Dominique Reynié graduated from Sciences Po Paris in 1983, where he also presented a master thesis in political science in 1984. In 1994, within the same institution, he became a doctor of political science. His thesis was directed by Jean Leca, on the theme: The Democratic Order: The Practical Foundations of a Democratic-type Mass Policy.[2] He earned his Agrégation of political science (French academic certification) in 1997.
University career[edit]
After obtaining his doctorate in 1994, Dominique Reynié held a research position at the Center for Studies of French Politics (Cevipof), where he became a research associate in 1997.
He held his first position as University Professor of Political Science at the University of Nice - Sophia Antipolis between 1997 and 1999, before returning to teach at Sciences Po Paris.
In Sciences Po, he led the Interregional Observatory of Politics[3] (Observatoire interrégional du politique) from 2002 to 2005, where he contributed to the publication of a regional level barometer, known as “Le baromètre du fait régional”.[4] He was also director of Sciences Po's master's degree in marketing from 1999 to 2006.
Close advisor to Richard Descoings (director of Sciences Po between 1996 and 2012), Reynié suggested in 1998 that Descoings set up a form of positive discrimination in the Sciences Po entrance examination. This pioneering measure in France was implemented starting 2001 onwards, with the creation of a specific selection process for students from underprivileged areas (French “Priority Education Zones”, also known by the acronym ZEP). This anecdote was lifted off of journalist Raphaëlle Bacqué's portrait of the former Sciences Po director, titled "Richie", a nickname given to Descoings.[5]
In the summer of 2012, after the death of Sciences Po director, Richard Descoings, Dominique Reynié was a candidate to take over management of the institution, and was one of five short-listed, along with Gilles Andréani, Hervé Crès, Jean-Michel Blanquer and Frédéric Mion (who was appointed).[6]
At Sciences Po, as part of the "political theory" dimension of the school's master's degree in Political Science, he currently leads a course dedicated to the new framework surrounding State Rationality, within the context of the GAFAM era (Google, Amazon, Facebook, Apple, Microsoft).[7] Within the doctoral school, he co-hosts a seminar with Elisabeth de Castex on "The Human Condition in the era of N.B.I.C” (nanotechnology, biology, computing and cognitive science).[8] He also teaches a course on the genealogy of the European idea. Reynié remains a research associate at Cevipof.
Since 1997, Dominique Reynié has been a regular contributor to the media. He publishes editorials in Le Figaro, Le Monde or Libération. In 2011 and 2012, he holds a weekly chronicle on France Culture radio entitled “The World According to Dominique Reynié”.[9]
Foundation for Political Innovation (Fondation pour l’innovation politique)[edit]
In October 2008, Dominique Reynié succeeded Franck Debié as Director General of the Foundation for Political Innovation (Fondation pour l’innovation politique, also known as Fondapol), a think tank founded in 2004 which, at the time of its creation, was close to the political party UMP (Union for a Popular Movement, which later became known as The Republicans-LR). Under his leadership, the think tank now asserts itself as "liberal, progressive and European".[10]
Expert on political, economic and social issues, he takes part in the work of the Observatory of the Decentralization of the Senate, and contributes in particular to the report "Being Locally Elected Today: Adapting our Local Governance to the Challenge of Decentralization", published in 2007.[11]
In 2010, he spoke before the Observatory as part of an information mission on political polls.[12] Reynié is also a member of the National Consultative Commission on Human Rights.[13]
In 2010, with the Foundation for Political Innovation, he participated in the creation of the Think Tanks Forum, a meeting which is open to the public and convenes prominent French think tanks at the Sorbonne University, to discuss major contemporary economic and social issues.
In 2012 he was a member of the "Visitors Program" of the BEPA (Bureau of European Policy Advisers).
Political life[edit]
Dominique Reynié was a candidate to lead the Languedoc-Roussillon-Midi-Pyrénées region's joint list representing both the LR and UDI parties, during the regional elections of December 2015.[14] On April 25, 2015, he was named against Bernard Carayon, after the fourth round of a vote by a "committee of the wise" composed of 40 local and national elected representatives.[15]
In October 2015, his eligibility is questioned by Jean-Pierre Grand, Senator LR, for a domiciliation issue.[16]
In the first round, he obtains 18.84% of the votes, which puts him in third position behind Louis Aliot (National Front) 31.83% and Carole Delga (Socialist Party) 24.41%. In his home department, Aveyron, he is leading with 30.53% of the vote, ahead of Carole Delga (25.5%) and Louis Aliot (21.74%). On the second round of the regional election, his score is 21.32%, behind Carole Delga (44.8%) and Louis Aliot (33.9%).[17][18]
He was elected chairman of the LR-UDI opposition group in the regional council with 20 votes (23 participants, 2 abstentions and 1 vote against).[19] More than a year later, on May 27, 2016, his election was canceled by the Conseil d'État (State Council): Dominique Reynié was indeed a resident in the region as required by the electoral rules, but the date on his rental contract was considered too late when compared with the deadline for a candidate to be eligible for election in 2015. Dominique Reynié complied with the decision of the Conseil d’Etat.[20]
He later told the newspaper La Depêche: "What finally hurt me the most is that it publicly challenges my origins in Aveyron. I was born there, my father is buried there. It's my home, and where my roots are."[21]
He was replaced at his seat by the Mayor of Millau, Christophe Saint-Pierre.