Attal government: Catherine Vautrin at the head of a super ministry with a colossal budget

Mayalène Trémolet / Photo credit: Ludovic MARIN / AFP 07:38, January 12, 2024

The day after the announcement of part of Gabriel Attal's new government, a first council of ministers will be held this Friday morning at 11 a.m. But before that, several transfers of power are planned. At 10 a.m., Stéphane Séjourné will officially take over from Catherine Colonna at the Quai d'Orsay. At the same time, Olivier Dussopt handed over the keys to the Ministry of Labour to Catherine Vautrin. At the age of 63, the president of Greater Reims, a former minister under Jacques Chirac, is taking over as head of a super ministry.

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Catherine Vautrin alone inherited the portfolios of three ministers in the Borne government: Labour, which was in the hands of Olivier Dussopt, Health, which until now had been held by Agnès Firmin Le Bodo, and Solidarity, managed by Aurore Bergé. An appointment to an XXL-sized ministry that is eminently political.

In all, more than 40 billion in budget

In May 2022, Emmanuel Macron had proposed Matignon to the president of Greater Reims before retracting under pressure from his left wing in favor of Elisabeth Borne. At the time, Catherine Vautrin was criticized for her commitment against marriage equality.

This time, this close friend of Nicolas Sarkozy, a former minister under Jacques Chirac, has her revenge. Under his responsibility now, more than €22 billion in credits for Labour, around €19 billion for Health and Solidarity, according to 2023 figures. Finally, Catherine Vautrin will have to tackle multiple challenges, such as the hospital crisis, the reform of unemployment insurance or the euthanasia bill, which could put her convictions to the test.