HEALTH MINISTER. Olivier Véran is keen on his role as Minister of Health and would like to keep it, but the hypothesis of the appointment of a new minister is more likely according to the political press. Who is expected?
Health will be, along with education, one of the main areas of the new five-year term. To live up to this promise and get the French health system back on its feet Emmanuel Macron and his Prime Minister, Elisabeth Borne, must carefully choose who will take the helm of the ministry. Olivier Véran, installed on the avenue de Ségur since February 2020, would see himself continuing his missions as minister for another five years. “I was minister for the health crisis for two years. I would now like to be full-time minister of health,” he told AFP.Obs in March before the re-election of Emmanuel Macron. And why not ? His two years in office coincided with the Covid-19 pandemic and for the difficulty of the situation his health record is considered correct. More than his actions, it is the label of Covid-19 minister which now sticks to his skin which could be responsible for his exit from the government. Emmanuel Macron wants to turn the page for this new five-year term, so a new name for Health seems to be needed. Some surnames are blown here and there, those of doctors, others of politicians and some combining the two hats.
Can Olivier Véran remain Minister of Health?
Arrived at the ministry on February 16, 2020, at the start of the Covid-19 health crisis, Olivier Véran spent two busy years in the government having to deal with the difficulties of the hospital and medical sector and a pandemic. Bad timing for the minister who wants to stay in charge as long as possible. According to information from BFM TV and of RTL, the neurologist by training would be identified as the “Mister Covid-19” and would recall a period of the five-year term that the Head of State would prefer to forget. If a renewal of Olivier Véran at the Ministry of Health seems badly started, a retraining seems unthinkable for someone who is a doctor before being a politician.
A health professional to become Minister of Health?
The track of the renewal of Olivier Véran discarded, other names have been cited to take the reins of the Ministry of Health. Some who present a profile similar to the current minister: doctor by profession but politically engaged. Renaud Muselierthe president of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur region and doctor would have been approached but the man silenced the rumors by indicating on Twitter : “I would like to thank those who congratulate me on my entry into government! It’s nice, but I remind you that I do not want to become a minister… I will help Emmanuel Macron and Elisabeth Borne, yes, but as president of the most beautiful region in Europe, and until 2028!”
Philippe Juvin, another Republican who has not yet joined the majority, would also be in the running. Anesthesiologist-resuscitator and mayor of Garenne-Colombe, the man has the advantage of knowing the reality of the medical sector and the workings of politics. On the left is the profile of Bernard Jomier, general practitioner and senator elected in 2017, who might be of interest. The majority also has a potential candidate in the person of Stephanie Ristrheumatologist and LREM deputy.
Another name is put forward by 20 minutes that of the president of the High Authority for Health (HAS), Dominique Le Guludec. The profile more echoes Agnès Buzyn, the minister who preceded Olivier Véran and who held the same position before entering the government.
Who else could be appointed Minister of Health?
More political personalities are mentioned in the columns of 20 minutes particularly Marisol Touraine, already appointed to Health during the five-year term of François Hollande. The former minister was present at the investiture of Emmanuel Macron and is a LREM candidate for the legislative elections. The only downside, by picking his ministers from among the heads of previous governments, Emmanuel Macron is moving away from the renewal he promised. Catherine Vautrincould also land in Health after being overtaken for the post of Prime Minister, according to a hypothesis of the Point.
The names of Martin Hirsch and of Nicolas Revel, two enarques with a career as a senior civil servant, are also mentioned. The first has been the director of the AP-HP since 2013, a post which immediately disqualifies him according to Dr Marty interviewed by the daily: “His record at the head of the AP-HP is calamitous and when you have participated in the installation of the hospital disaster, you cannot pose as the bearer of solutions”. Nicolas Revel’s hypothesis is considered more serious by the doctor, the man was the director of the National Health Insurance Fund for Salaried Workers (CNAMTS) from 2014 to 2020 and benefits from a solid experience in politics to have was, among other things, the director of cabinet of Jean Castex.
Who are the previous Ministers of Health?
The Ministry of Health has existed since 1920 and has changed its name several times until taking that of “Ministry of Solidarity and Health” since 2017. In addition to the names, it is also the ministers who have succeeded each other in the premises of Avenue de Segur.
- Elisabeth Hupert (May 18, 1995 – November 7, 1995)
- Hervé Gaymard (November 7, 1995 – June 2, 1997)
- Bernard Kouchner (June 4, 1997 – July 28, 1999)
- Dominique Gillot (July 29, 1999 – March 27, 2001)
- Bernard Kouchner (February 6, 2001 – May 7, 2002)
- Jean-François Mattei (May 7, 2022 – March 31, 2004)
- Philippe Douste-Blazy (March 31, 2004 – May 31, 2005)
- Xavier Bertrand (June 2, 2005 – March 26, 2007)
- Philippe Bas (March 26, 2007 – May 18, 2007)
- Roselyne Bachelot (May 18, 2007 – May 16, 2012)
- Marisol Touraine (May 16, 2012 – May 17, 2017)
- Agnès Buzyn (May 17, 2017 – February 16, 2020)
- Olivier Véran (February 16, 2020 – today)