Christian Gravel, 49, began his professional career alongside Manuel Valls, then spokesman for Lionel Jospin at Matignon during the 3rd cohabitation. He then followed him to the town hall of Evry where he was one of his closest collaborators. His responsibilities included security and crime prevention. After François Hollande's victory in the 2012 presidential election, Christian Gravel joined the Elysée Palace where he was in charge of the new president's communication.
A fervent defender of secularism
Two years later, he became head of the SIG (Government Information Service). There, he launched the "stop jihadist" campaign at the end of 2014 at a time when French departures to Syria were multiplying. The prevention of radicalization has long been a theme he has studied. Passionate about martial arts, Christian Gravel has been a prefect since 2015. In February 2020, he was appointed Deputy Senior Defence Officer of the Ministry of the Interior before taking over as head of the CIPDR.
See alsoMarianne Fund: the National Financial Prosecutor's Office opens a judicial investigation
Little known to the general public, the structure had been, under the leadership of Christian Gravel, much more offensive on issues of secularism and separatism, not hesitating to cross swords on social networks with personalities or associations deemed too complacent with regard to radical Islam.
Implicated in the management of the Marianne Fund, Christian Gravel was heard by the ad hoc Senate Commission of Inquiry, which had pinned him for not having a document sent relating to the projects selected for the allocation of these grants. Auditioned for more than three hours, Christian Gravel had specified that it was, originally, "a political order" of Marlène Schiappa, then Minister Delegate for Citizenship.
