YAEL BRAUN-PIVET. Former member of the socialist party and LREM deputy since 2017, Yaël Braun-Pivet is the candidate of the presidential majority in the National Assembly. What, already, to arouse a controversy in the overseas territories, of which she is minister.
A woman for the first time on the perch? It is now very likely. Yaël Braun-Pivet was nominated candidate of the presidential majority for the presidency of the National Assembly. Freshly re-elected deputy of the 5e constituency of Yvelines, she won the internal election of LREM against Roland Lescure, outgoing president of the economic affairs commission, by 105 votes against 85. In the first round, Barbara Pompili, Joël Giraud and Sophie Errante had been eliminated. In all likelihood, Yaël Braun-Pivet should be elected President of the National Assembly. Indeed, if at the end of the first two rounds, no absolute majority is obtained by one of the candidates, a third round is organised. The winner is then the one who collects the greatest number of votes cast. With 245 deputies out of 577, the Ensemble candidate (LREM, MoDem, Agir, Horizons) should therefore win this election. If she is elected next Wednesday, she will have to resign from her post as Minister of Overseas, which does not fail to challenge.
Indeed, Yaël Braun-Pivet’s candidacy for the perch is creating controversy in the overseas territories. This sudden reversal of the minister is not to the taste of Karine Lebon, deputy of the 2e constituency of La Réunion, which regrets that “the overseas ministry is seen as a consolation prize”. In the same vein, Élie Califer, MP for the 4e constituency of Guadeloupe, was particularly offensive: “Once again, this government pays little attention to our overseas territories. Without daring to speak of contempt, I would simply say that beyond the fine words heard there are little, of the new governmental consideration displayed after the cry of anger expressed in the ballot boxes by our populations, this government does indeed retain the same brutal, distant, even indifferent attitude with regard to our territories”, he writes in a communicated. It is true that this change of objective by Yaël-Braun Pivet is surprising to say the least: during his investiture on May 20, 2022, his speech was full of enthusiasm with regard to the new position occupied.
At 51, Yaël Braun-Pivet was appointed overseas minister by Emmanuel Macron on May 20, 2022. His induction speech was then particularly committed: “Five years later, here I am in charge of a magnificent ministry, with an enormous responsibility on my shoulders. And with a sense of commitment that has not wavered or weakened, quite the contrary.” And to add: “The overseas portfolio is the most beautiful portfolio there is.” A particularly important position, since distrust of Emmanuel Macron is very strong in these territories which voted against the head of state in the two rounds of the presidential election. Moreover, during the legislative elections, only three candidates from the presidential majority were elected deputies.
However, the former member of the Socialist Party should not remain in office. She is indeed running for the presidency of the National Assembly and will represent the presidential group during the ballot on Tuesday 28 June. A quick trip to the Hôtel de Montmorin and then leaving, the pill is difficult to digest for the deputies of the overseas territories… Karine Lebon, deputy of the 2e constituency of La Réunion, regrets, for example, that “the overseas ministry is seen as a consolation prize”. The boss of the socialists, Olivier Faure, was also moved by it in a tweet: “This rescue-who-can is as insulting for Madame Borne that her ministers are fleeing, as for our overseas fellow citizens who discover that the Ministry of overseas is ultimately not “the most beautiful portfolio there is”.
MP for the 5th district of Yvelines and president of the Law Commission, Yaël Braun-Pivet was entrusted in 2018 with the presidency of the commission of inquiry into the Benalla affair, after the events of the Contrescarpe. Alexandre Benalla, ex-charge de mission of the Élysée, had been fired in July 2018. He had been identified on videos violently arresting demonstrators in Paris, during the demonstrations of 1er may. At the time, the former socialist activist was a novice in politics and her appointment raised questions. It was not easy to lead debates which were tough inside the commission and tensions appeared with the co-rapporteur of the mission Guillaume Larrivé (LR). Yaël Braun-Pivet finally closed the commission on 1er August 2018.
On January 1, 2019, Yaël Braun-Pivet rejected the establishment of a new commission in this Benalla affair: “The latest revelations relating to the actions of Mr. Benalla do not fall within the precise perimeter fixed in July”, had-t-t she explained in a press release. This response came after the request of the Socialist deputies, on December 31, 2018.
Yaël Braun-Pivet is married to her childhood sweetheart, Vianney. The latter is an executive at L’Oréal. During the first part of his life, she followed him on his trips abroad. From now on, it is her spouse who adapts to the life of the deputy, as she specified to Marie-Claire in September 2018: “When I met Vianney, we were in high school, in first. always accompanied, supported. When, for his career, he was sent to Taiwan, then to Japan and Portugal, I followed him with the children. When we returned, he too respected my choices. He came to my first public meeting when I entered politics.”