Paul Bérenger

Paul Bérenger

Paul Raymond Bérenger GCSK, MP (born 26 March 1945) is a Mauritian politician who was Prime Minister of Mauritius from 2003 to 2005. He has been Leader of the Opposition from 2005 to 2006 and came back in office in 2007. Previously, he was Deputy Prime Minister from 1995 to 1997 and again from 2000 to 2003. He was also a cabinet minister in the government of Sir Anerood Jugnauth in 1982 and 1991.

In 2003, Berenger took office as Prime Minister following the resignation of then Prime Minister Jugnauth after serving as his deputy for three years. He led the MSM/MMM coalition government for a period of one year and nine months before his alliance lost the elections to the Labour Party in 2005.

He has also held the office of Leader of the Opposition from 1983 to 1987 and then Minister of External Affairs from 1991 to 1993 and has held the office of Deputy Prime Minister of Mauritius twice from 1995 to 1997 and from 2000 to 2003. In 1982 he was Minister of Finance same as from 2000 to 2003.

Berenger is of French descent and was born in Mauritius. He is one of the most prominent political figure in the island and is considered to be popular as much as grand personalities as Navin Ramgoolam, Pravind Jugnauth & Anerood Jugnauth. He is the leader & founder of the Mauritian Militant Movement which is one of the leading political parties which received 42.9% of votes in the last general elections of 2010.

Bérenger founded the Mauritian Militant Movement in 1969 along with Dev Veerasawmy and the Jeerubarkhan brothers. It is known to be the best established political force in the country as since its inception, it has always received more than 40% of direct votes in general elections.

After the 2000 elections, the MMM formed a coalition with the Militant Socialist Movement. They came to an agreement that the leader of the MSM, Anerood Jugnauth, would serve as prime minister for the first three years of the five-year term of Parliament and Berenger would take over for the remaining two years of their term. This agreement was fulfilled; Berenger subsequently tried to run on his own in the following elections but lost to Navinchandra Ramgoolam in the 2005 elections.

Bérenger is an alumnus of the University College of North Wales in Bangor, now Bangor University.