After starting his career as a research officer and then director of opinion studies at Sofres and Louis Harris institutes between 1983 and 1993, François Cornut-Gentille was elected Member of Parliament for the 2nd constituency of Haute-Marne in 1993. He held this position for nearly thirty years. In parallel, he served as Mayor of Saint-Dizier from 1995 to 2017, during which time he led several local development projects. In 2021, he joined Michel Barnier’s campaign team as spokesperson for the right-wing primary.
In 2024, he was appointed Defence Advisor in the office of Prime Minister Michel Barnier.
Since 2025, he has regularly contributed to media outlets as a commentator on defence, governance, and public finance issues, while continuing his local involvement in Saint-Dizier.
François Cornut-Gentille was born on May 22, 1958, in Saint-Mandé. He holds a degree from Paris-Nanterre University and is the author of several parliamentary reports on institutions, state modernization, and defence policy.
