Jean-François Copé (born 5th May 1964) is currently Mayor of Meaux and MP of Seine-et-Marne (near Paris in the Île de France region). He is a former budget minister and spokesman of the government. He has been the main leader of the French opposition from November 2012 to June 2014.

Following his graduation in 1989 (ENA, National School of Administration) he joined the Caisse des dépôts et consignations (CDC) where he stayed until 1991. He then worked as head of the cabinet for the CEO of Credit Local de France. Then, he got involved in politics within the RPR, the former neo-Gaullist party. He became head of the cabinet of the Minister for Relations with the Senate between 1993 and 1995.

In 1995, he won the head of the city of Meaux, a town of 50 000 inhabitants, 50 km east of Paris. In 2002, he has been elected MP of Seine-et-Marne. He has until now been re-elected in both functions. In 2002, President Jacques Chirac appointed him spokesman of the French government. Between 2004 and 2007 he was budget minister. He is the last French budget minister who succeeded in simultaneously decreasing public spending, debt, deficit and taxes. In 2007, he became president of the majority group of UMP MP’s in the National Assembly. In 2010, he took the head of the fight to ban the burqa in France. The same year he has been appointed secretary general of the UMP. From 2012 to 2014, he chaired the UMP, French first opposition party. During his presidency, the UMP won a historic victory in municipal elections in March 2014. In June 2014, he resigned from this function.

Jean-François Copé is also a lawyer. He regularly teaches Economy, governance and finance in different French Universities.

Jean-François Copé is married and has six children.