Francois Lafond
Adviser to Deputy Prime Minister in charge of European Affairs, NORTH MACEDONIA

Francois Lafond has been nominated adviser to Deputy Prime Minister for European Affairs in the Republic of North Macedonia, at Skopje (since mid-December 2017), following a diplomatic agreement between the French government and the government of the Republic of North Macedonia. He was before for the last three years associate professor in Sciences Po Paris (Euro-American campus), lecturer at University of Paris-Sud and European consultant for IJL-Un Forum pour le Monde (2017). Previously, he was the executive director of EuropaNova (2013-2016), secretary general of the French Aspen Institute (2012-13), and director of the Paris office of The German Marshall Fund of the US (2008-2011). Before, François Lafond was a special adviser of the Italian Minister for Regional Affairs (2007-8), of the Italian undersecretary of State for Foreign Affairs (2006-7) in Rome. Former deputy director of Policy Network in London (2003-6), researcher of the think tank Notre Europe with Jacques Delors in Paris (1999-2003), research associate at the European University Institute’s Robert Schuman Centre in Florence (1995-9). Since 2009, he is member of the agenda working group Halifax International Security Forum (Washington). He is also member of the Western Balkans Strategy Group (ECFR-Sofia) and has a column in France Forum on European affairs. He has been honoured “Ufficiale dell’ordine della Stella d’Italia” in September 2014.