François Rebsamen, former socialist minister of François Hollande, was named Minister of Regional Planning and Decentralization on Monday. At 73, this affable, outspoken man remains viscerally attached to Dijon, his hometown, where he was mayor for 23 years and where he retains the presidency of the metropolis. Promoter of a social and European left, he defends local roots and opposed the law on the non-cumulation of mandates in 2013, affirming that “local roots are essential”.
Loyal support of François Hollande, François Rebsamen distinguished himself in the Senate as leader of the socialist group. This loyalty led to his being named Minister of Labor in 2014, although his inability to reduce unemployment earned him the nickname “Minister of Unemployment”. In 2016, he refused François Hollande's proposal to become Minister of the Interior, preferring to stay in Dijon.
Ambiguous relationship with Emmanuel Macron
Distant during the 2017 presidential election, he nevertheless calls for Emmanuel Macron to vote to counter Marine Le Pen. In 2021, criticizing a Socialist Party that he considers “sectarian” and distant from popular circles, he founded the Progressive Federation, a left-wing movement for those disappointed with the PS. Despite disagreements with Emmanuel Macron on reforms such as the abolition of the ISF, he supports him, believing that he is “the most competent” to lead the country.
During the 2022 legislative elections, François Rebsamen called for a rally in the center around Macronist candidates to counter the far right, described as an “extreme danger”. This position earned him to be cited by François Bayrou as a key interlocutor for a “possible gathering”.
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