Trivia

French Prime Minister (1991-1992).

The first and so far only woman to become French Prime Minister.

French minister of foreign trade & tourism (1983-1984).

French minister of industrial redeployment and foreign trade (1984-1986).

French minister of European affairs (1988-1990).

European Commissioner for Research, Science and Technology (1995-1999).

French minister of agriculture (1981-1983).

Her strong criticism of Japanese trade practices, going so far as to compare the Japanese to "yellow ants trying to take over the world", led to charges of racism. She also said, discussing the sexual activities of Anglo-Saxon males, "Homosexuality seems strange to me. It's different and marginal. It exists more in the Anglo-Saxon tradition than the Latin one.".

Her political career ended in scandal as a result of corruption charges dating from her tenure as European Commissioner for Research, Science and Technology.

Cresson is a member of the Council of Women World Leaders, an International network of current and former women presidents and prime ministers whose mission is to mobilize the highest-level women leaders globally for collective action on issues of critical importance to women and equitable development.