A first step is validated, but nothing is yet won for Brigitte Bourguignon. The Minister of Health and Prevention qualified in pain during the first round of the legislative elections, Sunday June 12, in the 6th district of Pas-de-Calais. Under the colors of the presidential majority, she totaled 32.1% of the vote and will face the candidate of the National Rally, Christine Engrand – who gathered 30.33% of the votes – in the second round scheduled for Sunday, June 19. The hardest part is yet to come for the minister, who intends to keep her constituency: the voters voted there the former candidate of the National Rally (RN) for the presidential election, Marine Le Pen, in the lead in the first round (37.8% ) as in the second (57.7%).
This discreet 63-year-old woman was responsible for being Minister Delegate for the Autonomy of the Elderly between July 2020 and May 2022 in the government of Jean Castex, before being promoted to the very exposed post of Minister of Health and the prevention of Elisabeth Borne’s team, on May 20.
“Social Leg”
Born in Boulogne-sur-Mer (Pas-de-Calais) into a working-class family, Brigitte Bourguignon first worked at the city’s municipal social action center. A member of the Socialist Party (PS) from 1989, she became, in 2001, deputy mayor of Boulogne-sur-Mer, Frédéric Cuvillier. In 2008, this running enthusiast was appointed PS national secretary for sport. Succeeding Jack Lang in the 6th constituency of Pas-de-Calais in 2012, she was, three years later, a member of the special commission for the Macron law, and then appreciated the future president’s “pragmatic approach” and the idea “to take the best of the left and the right”.
She rallies to En Marche! in May 2017 and retains his constituency against the National Front, which has since become the National Rally. After the resignation of her deputy, Ludovic Loquet, she was re-elected, in June 2021, with 62% of the votes, during a partial legislative against the RN, and, wishing to remain in government, she gave way to her new deputy, Christophe Leclercq.
Quite quickly, at the start of Emmanuel Macron’s first five-year term, she regretted that the government of Edouard Philippe forgot “the social leg” of the En Marche candidate’s project!. Since then, she has embodied the left wing of the majority – she notably joined the current Territories of Progress, in 2020 – not without irritating in her camp. If she wants to remain a minister in the Borne government, Ms. Bourguignon will have to win, Sunday, June 19, because, as in 2017, members of the government who are candidates for deputy will have to resign in the event of failure.
