2024-01-12 10:20:33
Olivier Dussopt and Catherine Vautrin, during the transfer of powers to the Ministry of Labor, Health and Solidarity, in Paris, January 12, 2024. BENJAMIN GIRETTE FOR “LE MONDE”
This time it’s the right one. Expected to be prime minister in May 2022, before Emmanuel Macron changed his mind in favor of Elisabeth Borne, Catherine Vautrin made a remarkable entry into the government. She was entrusted with a ministry with extremely broad responsibilities – work, health and solidarity – which earned her fourth place in the protocol hierarchy, behind Bruno Le Maire (economy, finances) and Gérald Darmanin (interior, overseas) . At 63 years old, the appointment of the former spokesperson for Nicolas Sarkozy, during the right-wing primary in 2016, is supposed to illustrate the ” exceeding “ divisions desired by the Head of State, which results in the poaching of new personalities from the Les Républicains (LR) party.
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Currently president of the urban community of Grand Reims – the city where she won her first mandate by becoming a municipal councilor in 1983 – Ms. Vautrin worked in the private sector, in particular within the private insurance company Cigna, before switch 100% into the political sphere. Elected deputy for Marne in 2002 under the UMP-RPR label, she joined the government of Jean-Pierre Raffarin, two years later, as secretary of state for integration and equal opportunities, then as secretary of State for the elderly.
Thanks to a reshuffle following the arrival of Dominique de Villepin at Matignon in 2005, she rose to prominence, with the portfolio of minister responsible for social cohesion and parity, where she was responsible – among other things – homeless people. “She has a real appetite for social issues and a humanist right-wing sensitivity”estimates Franck Morel, advisor to Edouard Philippe when he was prime minister (May 2017-July 2020).
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She has conservative positions on certain social issues, such as marriage for all, which she opposed in 2013. A choice which contributed to blocking her path to Matignon and which she will regret: “I missed this meeting which has now become obvious”she said in 2023. Despite this mea culpa, associations defending the rights of LGBT+ people expressed their concern on the evening of Thursday, January 11, following her appointment.
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Now the holder of an enormous ministerial briefcase, Ms. Vautrin recovers the files hitherto handled by Olivier Dussopt, the outgoing Minister of Labor: implementation of the reform of active solidarity income (RSA), which toughened the obligations weighing on beneficiaries; launch of France Travail, the operator which has replaced Pôle emploi since January 1; continuation of action aimed at achieving full employment, with an unemployment rate of 5% in 2027, compared to 7.4% at present (which is often seen as a challenge), etc. It will also support the negotiation that the social partners have just opened on keeping seniors in work and which is intended, in principle, to be included in a bill – if the discussions lead to an agreement.
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