Summary
Ambassador’s role
Representative of his country abroad
The ambassador is responsible for promoting friendly relations between the country he represents and the one in which he is assigned.
It develops economic, cultural, scientific and military interactions.
He also monitors the development and situation of the country in which he finds himself, in order to inform his own government.
Government subordinate
The ambassador derives his power from the government. He exercises it in his name and at his request. He protects the nationals and the interests of his country, he negotiates for this with the local government…
High official
The ambassador must coordinate and animate the action of the civil services which make up his diplomatic mission. In summary: monitor the administration.
Ambassador working conditions
The ambassador travels the planet
Hundreds of diplomats go on mission every year around the world. The ambassador is required to change country regularly: approximately every 3 to 4 years. His function defines his way of life. Better not be homesick!
Job with great responsibilities
At the embassy, he leads the entire team responsible for contacts with nationals. The ambassador manages the structures: he is in contact with the consulates, the international organizations… He is also responsible for all the staff who run them.
How much does an ambassador earn?
The ambassador’s salary, fixed by the civil service index scale, is between 3,800 and €7,500 per month. Added to this are a number of allowances, in particular residence allowances.
Training to become an ambassador
If the royal road remains the ENA, there is no specific training strictly speaking to become an ambassador.
The ambassador is appointed by the President of the Republic, in the Council of Ministers, on the proposal of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
It is often chosen and assigned based on its experience and his rank in the diplomatic hierarchy.
Qualifications needed to be an ambassador
Taste of travel
The ambassador must accept to travel, often, until sometimes being uprooted! He is required to change countries regularly, which requires rapid adaptation.
Therefore, he must also have a gift for the practice of languages.
Keen
The political, legal, historical, economic… knowledge of the ambassador must be extended. He must be able to fit in, almost everywhere, to forge links, understand cultures, bring together points of view…
Responsible
The embassy is in a way the showcase of the state it represents. The attitudes of the ambassador are therefore carefully observed. He is like the model of the country and must be irreproachable.
Content updated on 05/29/2012