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Latest ITER Newsline

  • Tokamaks | Different approaches around the world

    Look east, look west ... tokamak projects are underway in different parts of the world. All of them are benefiting from and complementing the pioneering work al [...]

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  • Construction site | A guide to work underway

    Just like the ITER worksite, drone photography is also making progress. This view of the ITER platform is the sharpest and most detailed of all those we have pu [...]

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  • Vacuum vessel repair | A portfolio

    Whether standing vertically in the Assembly Hall or lying horizontally in the former Cryostat Workshop now assigned to component repair operations, the non-conf [...]

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  • European Physical Society | ITER presents its new plans

    The new ITER baseline and its associated research plan were presented last week at the 50th annual conference of the European Physical Society Plasma Physics Di [...]

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  • Image of the week | The platform's quasi-final appearance

    Since preparation work began in 2007 on the stretch of land that was to host the 42-hectare ITER platform, regular photographic surveys have been organized to d [...]

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Of Interest

See archived entries

ITER NEWSLINE -

Former French Prime Minister

A fan then and now

For Jean-Pierre Raffarin, former Prime Minister of France (2002-2005) who visited ITER on Friday 15 March, touring the ITER installation with ITER Director-General Pietro Barabaschi and Deputy-Director-General and Chief Scientist Alain Bécoulet held special significance. Twenty years earlier the veteran politician had played a key role in the negotiations that led to Europe's 2003 proposal to host ITER in Saint-Paul-lez-Durance/Cadarache, in southern France, and—in the following years—to the ITER Members' unanimous decision, in the summer of 2005, to accept Europe's proposal.

Guided by ITER Director-General Pietro Barabaschi and Deputy-Director-General and Chief Scientist Alain Bécoulet, former Prime Minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin toured the ITER worksite on Friday 15 March. He was accompanied by former Finance and Commerce Minister, Yves Galland; former Members of Parliament Pierre Lequiller and Marc Laffineur; and diplomatic consultant Xavier Lebray and their spouses. (Click to view larger version...)
Guided by ITER Director-General Pietro Barabaschi and Deputy-Director-General and Chief Scientist Alain Bécoulet, former Prime Minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin toured the ITER worksite on Friday 15 March. He was accompanied by former Finance and Commerce Minister, Yves Galland; former Members of Parliament Pierre Lequiller and Marc Laffineur; and diplomatic consultant Xavier Lebray and their spouses.
On 17 November 2003, a few days before Europe's bid, Raffarin had come to Cadarache, accompanied his Research Minister, former astronaut Claudie Haigneré, who was also an ardent proponent of ITER. He addressed the scientific teams at Tore Supra (now WEST) by saying "ITER is a new frontier" in humankind's quest for energy. "It's the energy of the 21st century," added Haigneré. Both pledged to do their best in support of the project.

As he toured the worksite last Friday, former Prime Minister Raffarin showed a deep understanding of what is at stake with ITER and fusion in terms of long-term development for humankind. He also praised the unique nature of the ITER international collaboration. Being well aware of the challenges the project is currently facing, he strongly encouraged the ITER management and staff to pursue their efforts. 

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