Patrice Vergriete
{{Short description|French politician (born 1968)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2023}}
{{ infobox officeholder
| name = Patrice Vergriete
| image = Patrice Vergriete.jpg
| caption = Vergriete in 2023
| office = Minister Delegate for Transport
| term_start = 8 February 2024
| term_end = 21 September 2024
| primeminister = Gabriel Attal
| predecessor = Clément Beaune
| successor = François Durovray
| office1 = Minister Delegate for Housing
| term_start1 = 20 July 2023
| term_end1 = 11 January 2024
| primeminister1 = Élisabeth Borne
| predecessor1 = Olivier Klein
| successor1 = Guillaume Kasbarian
| term_start2 = 27 September 2024
| term_end2 =
| predecessor2 = Jean Bodart
| successor2 =
| term_start3 = 5 April 2014
| term_end3 = 29 September 2023
| predecessor3 = Michel Delebarre
| successor3 = Jean Bodart
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1968|07|04|df=yes}}
| birth_place = Dunkirk, France
| party = Miscellaneous left
| otherparty = Socialist Party (1993–2013)
| alma_mater = École polytechnique
}}
Patrice Vergriete ({{IPA|fr|patʁis vɛʁɡritː||LL-Q150 (fra)-Jérémy-Günther-Heinz Jähnick-Patrice Vergriete.wav}}; born 4 July 1968) is a French politician who has served as Mayor of Dunkirk since 2024, previously holding the office from 2014 to 2023. He served in government as Minister Delegate for Housing (2023–2024) and Minister Delegate for Transport (2024) under successive Prime Ministers Élisabeth Borne and Gabriel Attal.{{Cite news |date=2023-07-23 |title=Patrice Vergriete, l'homme fort de Dunkerque, promu ministre du logement |language=fr |work=Le Monde.fr |url=https://www.lemonde.fr/politique/article/2023/07/23/patrice-vergriete-l-homme-fort-de-dunkerque-promu-ministre-du-logement_6183047_823448.html |access-date=2023-10-15}}Victor Goury-Laffont (8 February 2024), [https://www.politico.eu/article/macron-completes-painstaking-reshuffle-with-health-energy-appointments/ Macron completes painstaking reshuffle with EU affairs, health, energy appointments] Politico Europe.
Biography
Born to a boilermaker father at Chantiers de France and a homemaker mother, Vergriete was raised in the bustling Glacis neighbourhood of Dunkirk.
Following his completion of the baccalaureate, he pursued further education in Paris by attending a scientific preparatory programme at the prestigious Lycée Louis-le-Grand. Succeeding in the École polytechnique entrance exam, he became a member of the class of 1989.{{Cite web |title=Association des anciens élèves et diplômés de l'École polytechnique - AX |url=https://ax.polytechnique.org/fr/addressbook/fullsearch/index |access-date=2024-04-05 |website=AX POLYTECHNIQUE |language=fr}}
In 1995, he specialised at the École des ponts ParisTech, obtaining his diploma to become a bridges, waters and forests engineer.{{Citation |title=Arrêté du 20 mai 1996 portant attribution du diplôme d'ingénieur de l'Ecole nationale des ponts et chaussées à des élèves sortis en 1995 |url=https://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/jorf/id/JORFTEXT000000742654 |access-date=2024-04-05}}.
At the end of the 1990s, he began his professional career at the OECD, then joined the cabinets of Minister of Employment and Solidarity Martine Aubry and Minister for the City Claude Bartolone.{{Citation |title=Arrêté du 11 mai 1998 portant nomination au cabinet du ministre délégué à la ville |url=https://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/jorf/id/JORFTEXT000000374363 |access-date=2024-04-05}}.
Political career
In 2014, Vergriete was elected Mayor of Dunkirk. On 1 September 2018, the implementation of free bus services was initiated, making the urban community of Dunkirk the largest urban area in Europe to offer unrestricted access to its entire bus network.{{Cite web |title=gratuité des transports : nos derniers articles et actualités {{!}} L'Humanité : lire, agir |url=https://www.humanite.fr/mot-cle/gratuite-des-transports |access-date=2024-04-05 |website=L'Humanité |language=fr-FR}}
In December 2019, Vergriete declared his intention to run for a second term as mayor. He secured reelection in 2020 in the first round of voting with 64% of the total votes.{{Cite web |date=2020-03-15 |title=RÉSULTATS. Municipales à Dunkerque : le maire sortant Patrice Vergriete élu dès le premier tour |url=https://france3-regions.francetvinfo.fr/hauts-de-france/nord-0/dunkerque/municipales-dunkerque-maire-sortant-patrice-vergriete-elu-premier-tour-1800614.html |access-date=2024-04-05 |website=France 3 Hauts-de-France |language=fr-FR}}
On 24 January 2023, he was appointed chair of the Agence de financement des infrastructures de transport de France (AFIT France) based on the recommendation from the Élysée.{{Cite web |date=2022-12-02 |title=Patrice Vergriete proposé comme président de l'Agence de financement des infrastructures de transport de France |url=https://www.lefigaro.fr/flash-eco/patrice-vergriete-propose-comme-president-de-l-agence-de-financement-des-infrastructures-de-transport-de-france-20221202 |access-date=2024-04-05 |website=Le Figaro |language=fr}}{{Citation |title=Décret du 24 janvier 2023 portant nomination du président du conseil d'administration de l'Agence de financement des infrastructures de transport de France - M. VERGRIETE (Patrice) |url=https://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/jorf/id/JORFTEXT000047047520 |access-date=2024-04-05}}.
In the July 2023 government reshuffle, Vergriete was appointed Minister Delegate for Housing in the government of Prime Minister Élisabeth Borne.{{Cite web |date=2023-07-20 |title=Remaniement : tout savoir sur Patrice Vergriete, le nouveau ministre délégué au Logement |url=https://www.cnews.fr/france/2023-07-20/remaniement-tout-savoir-sur-patrice-vergriete-le-nouveau-ministre-delegue-au |access-date=2023-10-15 |website=CNEWS |language=fr}} On 29 September 2023, following his appointment to the government, he stepped down from his position as Mayor of Dunkirk and assumed the role of first deputy mayor.{{Cite web |publisher=La Voix du Nord|language=fr|date=29 September 2023|title=Dunkerque : Jean Bodart, un nouveau maire ému aux larmes |url=https://archive.wikiwix.com/cache/index2.php?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.lavoixdunord.fr%2F1379312%2Farticle%2F2023-09-29%2Fdunkerque-jean-bodart-un-nouveau-maire-emu-aux-larmes%3Fuid%3Dvpid%26q_ressource_uri%3Dhttp%3A%2F%2Fwww.lavoixdunord.fr%2F1379312%2Farticle%2F2023-09-29%2Fdunkerque-jean-bodart-un-nouveau-maire-emu-aux-larmes%26widget%3Dviewpay%26success%3Dtrue#federation=archive.wikiwix.com&tab=url}}
From February to September 2024, Vergriete held the position of Minister Delegate for Transport in the government led by Gabriel Attal. As Transport Minister, he faced a series of railway arson attacks on 26 July 2024, the day of the 2024 Summer Olympics opening ceremony in Paris.
References
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Category:21st-century mayors of places in France
Category:Mayors of places in Hauts-de-France
Category:Government ministers of France