Dion, Stéphane << dee OHN, stay FAHN >> (1955-…), is a Canadian diplomat and politician. He served as leader of the Liberal Party of Canada from 2006 to 2008. During his career, Dion has promoted Canadian national unity and environmental conservation. He also has served in a number of diplomatic roles.
Dion was born on Sept. 28, 1955, in Quebec City, Quebec. He earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in political science in 1977 and 1979 from Université Laval (Laval University). He received a doctorate in sociology from the Paris Institute of Political Studies in 1986. In 1984, Dion lectured at the University of Moncton, and from 1984 to 1996, he taught political science at the Université de Montréal (University of Montreal).
Dion was first elected to the Canadian House of Commons in 1996. He served as a member of Parliament from 1997 to 2017. He represented the district of Saint-Laurent—Cartierville, and then the district of Saint-Laurent, both in Quebec. Dion also has held several Cabinet posts. From 1996 to 2003, Dion served as president of the Queen’s Privy Council for Canada and minister of intergovernmental affairs. As minister, Dion was responsible for introducing the Clarity Act. Passed in 2000, this controversial law set strict terms for the formal withdrawal of Quebec or any other province from Canada. From 2004 to 2006, Dion served as minister of the environment. In that role, he set aside funds to protect species at risk of extinction. He also launched Project Green, a plan to reduce the release of greenhouse gases into the environment. Greenhouse gases contribute to global warming.
Dion became Liberal Party leader in December 2006. He continued working to make environmentalism an important part of the Liberals’ appeal to Canadian voters. Dion resigned as party leader in December 2008, after the Liberals lost a federal general election. Michael Ignatieff, a former university professor, replaced him.
From 2015 to 2017, Dion served as Canada’s minister of foreign affairs. He was Canada’s ambassador to Germany from 2017 to 2022, when he was appointed ambassador to France. In 2017, Dion also became the prime minister’s special envoy to the European Union (EU) and Europe.
Dion is the author or coauthor of a number of books. These include Straight Talk: Speeches and Writings on Canadian Unity (1999).
