The Secretary of State in charge of the Social, Solidarity and Responsible Economy, returning from maternity leave, returned to a “rather bad memory” that occurred during her pregnancy.
© Jacques Witt/SIPA
A little over two months ago, on December 12, 2021 to be exact, Secretary of State Olivia Grégoire gave birth to a little Romy, 47 centimeters, 2.6 kilos, first – and only – baby of the Castex government and Emmanuel Macron’s five-year term. It was for the 43-year-old mother of her first child.
Back from her maternity leave, she talked about her maternity on the set of Darius Rochebin , on LCI last weekend. She returned to an episode of her pregnancy which left her with a half-fig half-grape impression. Last July, to encourage pregnant women to get vaccinated against Covid-19, she received her second dose, administered by her government colleague Olivier Véran , in front of photographers and cameras. She was then five months pregnant. “It was a nice and important episode, but it remains an episode for me of political violence,” she said. “The number of messages that I have received following this image that I wanted public has been of sincere violence on the part of the anti-vax. We rarely measure, except in these moments, how much there is sometimes gall and hatred in our country. It will remain a rather bad memory, not so much because of the sting as because of these hateful messages, ”recalls the Secretary of State in charge of the Social, Solidarity and Responsible Economy. “But it was useful. Between the first and the second dose for pregnant women, we had to wait a bit until we had some perspective and we had enough to do it. I tried to be useful”.
“This baby is a little miracle”
She also talked about her new life as a mother. “Working, being pregnant, being a mother is a challenge for women and it is important to say that there are women politicians who are completely normal women, like many of those who take up this challenge”. At Paris Match at the end of December, posing with his companion and their daughter of a few days , she confided her desire to take advantage of her maternity leave before resuming her activities. “I’m not necessarily aiming for the Superwoman degree! I am committed to being a woman, a mother and a politician all at the same time. I will not do like some women in politics who came back almost the day after giving birth. I am breastfeeding Romy. Her dad took his paternity leave until mid-January, and I will return to the ministry in February, ”she explained to us, in an allusion to Rachida Dati, who returned to her ministry five days after giving birth. “I telework, I follow all my files very closely with my firm. This baby is a little miracle and he needs his mom. It is the fruit of three years of fighting and hope. I wanted more than anything to have this child. And I also dreamed of being a minister to serve our country. Finally, the two arrived at the same time, ”she rejoiced.
On LCI, she added that the Head of State and his wife Brigitte Macron “welcomed this beautiful news warmly and sympathetically. A little happiness in these years which have been difficult”.