Rouher, Eugène

(1814-1884)

   political figure

   Born in Riom, Eugène Rouher entered politics during the revolution of 1848. A candidate in the elections to the Constituent Assembly (April 1848) as a republican, he joined the parti de l'ordre, was reelected to the Legislative Assembly (May 1849), and was twice named minister of justice between 1849 and 1851. Recalled to that ministry after the coup d'état of December 2, 1851, he resigned in January 1852 in opposition to the decree confiscating the properties of the House of orléans (like that of the duke de morny). Rouher, as minister of trade, agriculture, and public works (1855-63), contributed to implementing several important measures (development of the railroad, navigation routes, improvement of the Landes region, signing the free-trade treaty with Great Britain). Minister of state (1863), he never ceased to oppose all attempts at liberalizing the regime and, in foreign policy, supported the disastrous expedition to Mexico. After the elections of 1869, which assured a victory for a majority opposed to the exercise of personal power, Rouher was forced to resign. President of the Senate (1870), he took refuge in London after the abdication of napoléon III before becoming, during the third republic, one of the leaders of the Bonapartist Party in the National Assembly, where he served from 1872 to 1879.