Former French Minister of Labour, Health, Solidarity, and Families Catherine Vautrin returns to her post in the new cabinet announced on Monday (23 December), supported by newcomer Yannick Neuder, who will serve as minister delegate for health and access to care.
“It is a great honour to take up, as of tomorrow, the portfolio of labour, health, solidarity, and families, whose major importance to our fellow citizens’ daily lives I fully understand. They can count on my full commitment,” commented Vautrin on X after Bayrou’s announcement.
Similarly, Neuder announced: “It is with seriousness and responsibility that I take on my role as minister for health and access to care.”
“I will commit myself to give France the means to meet the many challenges ahead of us: combating medical deserts, addressing the ageing population, supporting our health institutions and professionals, implementing an ambitious prevention policy, and ensuring health sovereignty.”
While Vautrin is well-known in the corridors of the French ministry – she had already held this portfolio from 11 January 2024 to 21 September – Neuder’s appointment was more unexpected.
A cardiologist by profession, Neuder (Les Républicains) was a deputy for Isère until now. The 55-year-old man was notably the general rapporteur for the social security budget in the National Assembly. Since 2016, he has also been a regional councillor for Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, his native region.
Mayotte as a priority
France’s political situation remains fragile and complex, and the two ministers will have to handle many pressing issues, starting with the situation in the French overseas territory of Mayotte.
“I will be travelling to Mayotte in the coming days for the population and to meet with parliamentarians and elected officials who, alongside state services, are committed to ensuring the security of the Mahorais. This is truly my absolute priority as I take office today,” Neuder said during the handover ceremony on Tuesday (24 December).
The situation on the French island, hit by Cyclone Chido on 14 December, remains catastrophic. The provisional death toll announced by the French government currently stands at 35 dead and 2,500 injured.
Beyond Mayotte, Neuder will have to urgently address France’s €18 billion social security deficit for 2024 once the Assembly resumes discussion in the coming weeks. The text had been presented by former Prime Minister Michel Barnier.
Additionally, the two ministers will also have to address the issue of medical deserts. They have inherited a healthcare system under immense strain, with overloaded emergency services and medication shortages.
Seventh minister in two and a half years
With this appointment, Neuder becomes the seventh health minister during Emmanuel Macron’s second term.
“This ministry has experienced many changes and upheavals. Too many, without a doubt,” commented outgoing Minister of Health Geneviève Darrieussecq. She held her position for three months and seven days.
“I am thinking of all the actors in the health sector who need continuity and stability. (…) I understand the energy it takes for them to overcome the reshuffles, to deal with what they may perceive as uncertainty, to constantly change interlocutors, and yet continue tirelessly to uphold their convictions,” she added.
This appointment has indeed prompted reactions from various stakeholders.
“Our institutions urgently need budgetary visibility to continue fulfilling their public service mission, especially in preparation for the 2025 budget campaign. With a cumulative underfunding of €1.3 billion, the situation on the ground is particularly difficult,” declared the French Hospital Federation (FHF).
[Edited by Martina Monti]
