France : Patrick Kanner named minister of urban affairs, youth and sports

Patrick Kanner was named the minister of urban affairs, youth and sports by the French president François Hollande on 26/08/2014, on the nomination by French prime minister Manuel Valls.

Patrick Kanner, 57, had been the president of the general council of the Nord department since March 2011.

Kanner had been a lecturer in public law at Charles de Gaulle University -- Lille III, and was a member of the general counsel of the canton of Lille Southwest since 1998. He is the deputy mayor of Lille and in charge of total educational project. He is also president of the National Union of Social Action Community Centres and a member of the National Council for the Fight against Exclusion (Conseil National de Lutte Contre les Exclusions).

He replaced Najat Vallaud-Belkacem, who had been in the post since 02/04/2014; she has now become the minister of national education, higher education and research. Prior to Vallaud-Belkacem, the minister of urban affairs, youth and sports was Valérie Fourneyron.

• Thierry Braillard, the secretary of state for sports, has been confirmed to remain in office.