Caroline Cayeux, the mayor of Beauvais (Oise), is joining the new government of Elisabeth Borne, following the reshuffle announced on Monday. At the age of 73, she was appointed Minister for the first time and will be in charge of the Territorial Communities portfolio, alongside the Minister of the Interior and Overseas Territories and the Minister of Ecological Transition and Territorial Cohesion.
Mayor of Beauvais (Les Républicains then various right) since 2001, Caroline Cayeux is also President of the National Agency for Territorial Cohesion and President of the Federation of French Cities. She was a senator for Oise from 2011 to 2017 and before that regional councilor for Picardy from 2004 to 2011.
The name of Caroline Cayeux had circulated from the re-election of Emmanuel Macron, in April, to enter the government. She had actively participated in her electoral campaign, notably by signing a column in the Sunday newspaper, to call on the President of the Republic to stand for re-election. At the time, Caroline Cayeux, however, did not officially plan to join the government, saying she was “very busy” in her city.