Former member of the Les Républicains party, the secretary general of Horizons, close to Edouard Philippe, inherits a strategic portfolio.
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It is therefore Christophe Béchu who will take over from Amélie de Montchalin at the head of the Ministry of Ecological Transition and Territorial Cohesion. Already a member of the first government of Elisabeth Borne, where he was Minister Delegate in charge of local authorities, under the double supervision of Amélie de Montchalin and Gérald Darmanin, Minister of the Interior, Christophe Béchu Coche several boxes.
The appointment of this former member of the UMP then the Republicans, secretary general of the Center Party Horizons since October 9, 2021, confirms the alliance with the movement of Edouard Philippe, of which Mr. Béchu is a loved one .
Above all, his knowledge of local authorities – he is mayor of Angers and president of Angers Loire Métropole since 2014 – is an asset for the ecological transition declined as close as possible to the territories. At 48, the Angevin, father of three children, graduate of Sciences Po Paris, perfectly masters part of his future field of activity.
With regard to his knowledge of ecology, Matthieu Orphelin, ex-deputy of Maine-et-Loire who knows man well, for having “practiced” in Angers, says of him that “he is sensitive to these themes, one of the most sensitive even on the right “. “We acted together on the bicycle plan for example, which was developed in Angers.” It was in this city that Edouard Philippe, then Prime Minister, came in September 2018 to present the national bike plan.
“Change scale and rhythm”
While the architecture of the government’s “green pole” remains based on two main ministries, the ecological transition and the cohesion of the territories on the one hand, and the energy transition on the other hand, with Agnès Pannier-Runacher, Hold in the second team of Elisabeth Borne, Christophe Béchu will have to put the double bites.
The response to the “ecological emergency” decreed by Emmanuel Macron suffered from the expectation linked to the loss of majority of the Head of State in the National Assembly. And few decisions, necessary given the climate and environmental crisis, have been made. “The task is so huge that it will have to change scale and rhythm. It will have to be concrete and take strong measures, it will also be necessary that it wins the arbitrations,” said Matthieu Orphelin. For example, “respond to threats to biodiversity, restore a balance of power with hunters, to which we pass everything”.
Former senator (2011-2017) and former European deputy (2009-2014), will Christophe Béchu be this minister? For Delphine Batho, environmentalist deputy and new Popular Ecologist and Social Popular Union (Nuts) of Deux-Sèvres, “man entered the government because he was secretary general of horizons”. “He voted against the ban on neonicotinoids when he was a senator and he is an ultra -conservative,” said the deputy. In fact, Mr. Béchu had signed a forum against marriage for all with Bruno Retailleau in the magazine of the far right current values, in October 2012. For Delphine Batho, “we cannot say that the challenges of the ecological emergency have inspired what this appointment “.
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