This time it’s the right thing. Catherine Vautrin, who was expected to become prime minister in May 2022 before Emmanuel Macron changed his mind in favor of Elisabeth Borne, made a remarkable entry into government. She was entrusted with a ministry with extremely wide-ranging responsibilities – labor, health and solidarity – which earned her fourth place in the protocol hierarchy, behind Bruno Le Maire (Economy, Finance) and Gérald Darmanin (Home Affairs, Overseas). The appointment of the 63-year-old former spokesman for Nicolas Sarkozy during the right-wing primaries in 2016 should make this clear “transcending” The divisions desired by the head of state arise, which leads to the poaching of new personalities from the Les Républicains (LR) party.
Currently president of the municipality of Grand Reims – the city where she received her first mandate in 1983, becoming a councilor -, MMe Vautrin worked in the private sector, notably at the private insurance company Cigna, before moving 100% into the political sphere. In 2002 she was elected MP for Marne under the name UMP-RPR and two years later joined the government of Jean-Pierre Raffarin as State Secretary for Integration and Equal Opportunities and then as State Secretary for the Elderly.
Thanks to a reshuffle following the arrival of Dominique de Villepin in Matignon in 2005, she rose to prominence and became Minister of Social Cohesion and Equality, where she was responsible, among other things, for the homeless. “She has a genuine interest in social issues and a humanistic right-wing sensibility”estimates Franck Morel, advisor to Edouard Philippe when he was prime minister (May 2017 – July 2020).
She represents conservative positions on certain social issues, such as marriage for all, which she rejected in 2013. A decision that contributed to blocking her path to Matignon and which she will regret: “I missed this meeting, which has now become clear”she says in 2023. Still Mea culpaAssociations defending the rights of LGBT+ people expressed their concern on Thursday evening, January 11, following his appointment.
“Social juggernaut”
Now holder of a huge Prime Minister of Morocco, MMe Vautrin restores the files previously handled by Olivier Dussopt, the outgoing Minister of Labor: implementation of the Active Solidarity Income (RSA) reform, which tightened the obligations for recipients; Introducing France Travail, the operator that has replaced 1 Pôle emploium January ; Continuation of measures to achieve full employment with an unemployment rate of 5% in 2027 compared to the current 7.4% (which is often seen as a challenge), etc. It will also support the negotiations that the social partners are currently conducting on the continued employment of older people have opened and which should in principle be included in a draft law – provided the discussions lead to an agreement.
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