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From 1990 to 1995, Longuet served as president of the Republican Party (PR). During that time, he was also Minister of Industry, Posts and Telecommunications, and Foreign Trade in the government of Prime MinisterÉdouard Balladur from 1993 until he resigned in 1994.[6] Ahead of the 1995 presidential campaign, he supported Balladur as center-right candidate; instead, Jacques Chirac won the party's nomination and later the election.
On the regional level, Longuet was a regional councillor of Lorraine from 1992 until his resignation in 2010. He served as president of the Regional Council of Lorraine from 1992 to 2004.
Also early in his tenure, it was revealed that Longuet had spent a weekend in 2006 in a Tunisian palace at the expense of PresidentZine El Abidine Ben Ali, who was overthrown shortly after by a popular revolt.[10]
In January 2012, President Sarkozy dispatched Longuet and the head of the French army to Afghanistan to conduct a review of security after an Afghan soldier killed four French service members.[11] Shortly after, Longuet announced that France would withdraw its combat forces from Afghanistan – at the time, 2,400 soldiers in Kapisa Province – by 2013.[12]
Also in early 2012, Longuet led efforts on an agreement between France and Britain to jointly work to develop unmanned drones as part of their military cooperation.[13]
In 2005, Longuet was the only one among 47 persons prosecuted who was found not guilty in a trial over claims that construction companies had paid money to political parties in return for contracts.[18]
Human rights
In 2008, Longuet compared homosexuality to pedophilia, and he said gay pride parades may lead LGBT teenagers to suicide.[19][20] He has said he does not remember saying it, even though there is footage of it.[21]