Manuel Valls was born on August 13, 1962 in Barcelona, Spain. His father was Spanish and his mother was Swiss. The family moved to France when Valls was a young boy, and he grew up in Paris. Valls studied history at the University of Paris and joined the French Socialist Party in 1980.
Valls began his political career as a City Councillor in Évry, a suburb of Paris, in 1983. He quickly rose through the ranks and was elected Mayor of Évry in 2001. Valls served as Mayor for over a decade, gaining a reputation for his tough stance on crime and his efforts to revitalize the city.
In 2012, Valls was appointed Minister of the Interior in François Hollande's government. He was known for his tough stance on crime and immigration, as well as his support for controversial security measures such as the burkini ban.
In 2014, Valls was appointed Prime Minister of France, succeeding Jean-Marc Ayrault. As Prime Minister, Valls continued his tough stance on security and immigration, and also advocated for economic reforms to boost France's struggling economy.
One of Valls' most significant achievements as Prime Minister was his implementation of labor reforms aimed at making it easier for businesses to hire and fire employees. However, these reforms were met with significant opposition from labor unions and the left-wing of the Socialist Party.
After leaving office, Valls ran for Mayor of Barcelona in 2019 but was unsuccessful. He has since continued to be involved in politics, advocating for centrist policies and speaking out against the rise of populism in Europe.
Manuel Valls remains an influential figure in French and European politics, known for his tough stance on security and immigration, as well as his commitment to economic reform.