Louis Schweitzer

Louis Schweitzer  link Sourcewatch Wikidata (Businessman)
File:Louis Schweitzer.jpg
Born	8 July 1942 Geneva, Switzerland
Died	6 November 2025
Nationality	Swiss
Alma mater	Institut d'études politiques de Paris
Religion	Protestant
Parents	Pierre-Paul Schweitzer
Second generation Triple Bilderberger Swiss President of Le Siècle

Louis Schweitzer is a Swiss businessman and second generation Bilderberger. He is a former chairman of the board of Groupe Renault, first taking the post on 27 May 1992, succeeding Raymond Lévy, also being CEO from 1992 to 2005. He was in addition Chairman of AstraZeneca until 8 June 2012 where he was appointed as a Director 11 March 2004. He is a non-executive director of BNP Paribas, Electricité de France, Veolia Environnement, Volvo AB and L'Oréal, and Vice-Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Philips Electronics NV

He was acquitted in the 1980s tainted blood export scandal.

Background

Louis Schweitzer's father, Pierre-Paul Schweitzer, was Managing Director of the IMF for 10 years.

Career in the public sector

Schweitzer was appointed Inspector of Finance at the French Treasury in 1970. In 1981, he became Chief of Staff to Prime Minister Laurent Fabius in his various government posts (Budget Minister, Minister for Industry and Research and Prime Minister).

Tainted HIV Blood Scandal

In 1995, the French Justice Ministry investigated Schweitzer for being an accomplice in poisoning of the several tens of thousands hemophiliacs. The case against Schweizer stemmed from his tenure as Chief of Staff to Prime Minister Laurent Fabius. Between 1983-1985, the French Centre National de la Transfusion sanguine distributed HIV-tainted blood products among hemophilia patients while it had full knowledge of the fact. Although on November 22, 1984, the French government acknowledged that the products were dangerous, Institut Mérieux continued to export them to countries such as Iran, Iraq, Libya and Argentina until late 1985. After a media investigation showed that many of the politicians' claims of "not knowing" were bald-faced lies, some were brought to trial in the French justice system. Most of those charged were either given noticeably lenient sentences, or like the majority - including Schweizer - totally acquitted in 2003..

Career in the private sector

Schweitzer joined Renault in 1986 and became Chief Financial Officer and Head of Strategic Planning in 1988.

Schweitzer was appointed Executive Vice President and COO in 1989, and President and COO in 1990. He was Renault's Chairman and CEO from May 1992 to April 2005, and president of the Renault-Nissan Alliance Board from 2001 to 2005. On 29 April 2005, he became Chairman of the Renault Board of Directors.

Since 6 March 2005, Schweitzer has been President of the Haute Authorité de Lutte Contre les Discriminations et Pour l'Egalité. This role was entrusted to him by the French President.

Criminal conviction

He was found guilty in 2002 of conducting surveillance on the phone of Jean-Edern Hallier as part of a special unit of the Elysée Palace and fined. The Court of Cassation upheld his conviction in 2008.