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Ericka BareigtsFrench politician and statesman
Date of Birth: 16.04.1967
Country:  France |
Content:
- Éric Bareigts
- Political Career
- Deputy and Secretary of State
- Minister of Overseas Territories
- Post-Ministerial Career
Éric Bareigts
Early Life and EducationÉric Bareigts was born on April 16, 1967, in Saint-Denis, Réunion. Her mother worked in commerce and her father was a teacher. Her family's history reflects a diverse heritage of slaves and immigrants from Europe, Africa, and India.
Bareigts graduated from high school in Saint-Denis and earned a University Diploma in General Law (DEUG) from the University of Réunion in 1986. She then completed a master's degree in international law at the University of Paris 1 Pantheon-Sorbonne and spent a year as an exchange student in London. In 1992, she obtained a Diploma in Specialized Education (DESS) in law from the University of Réunion.
Political Career
Bareigts began her political involvement in high school and joined the Socialist Party in 1992. She held various positions in its Réunion branch and became part of the National Secretariat in 2014, responsible for overseas territories.
In 1992, Bareigts passed the legal bar exam and established the legal service for the Regional Council of Réunion, which she headed from 1992 to 1998. She was then in charge of social protection issues in the General Council of Réunion from 1998 to 2004. From 2004 to 2008, she was a member of the Socialist faction in the General Council, monitoring the work of deputies.
In 2008, Bareigts was elected to the Saint-Denis Municipal Council and oversaw education, culture, and sports. In July 2008, she became the first woman to lead the CINOR intercommunal community in northern Réunion and was elected to the Regional Council in 2010.
Deputy and Secretary of State
Bareigts was elected to the French National Assembly for Réunion's 1st district in 2012. On February 11, 2016, she was appointed Secretary of State for Equality in the second Manuel Valls government and resigned from her parliamentary seat on March 12, 2016.
Minister of Overseas Territories
On August 30, 2016, Georges Pau-Langevin, the Minister of Overseas Territories in the same government, unexpectedly resigned, and her portfolio was transferred to Éric Bareigts.
Bareigts retained her position in the Cazeneuve government formed after Valls' resignation on December 6, 2016. In March 2017, the Guianese Workers' Union voted to call for a general strike in Guyana, demanding decisive action to address the overseas department's problems in security, healthcare, education, and the economy. Bareigts was included in the interdepartmental commission established to resolve the conflict.
On April 2, 2017, Bareigts returned to Paris from Guyana without reaching an agreement. The government offered 1.085 billion euros in financial aid, but one of the unions rejected it, demanding an additional 2.5 billion euros. On April 5, the government approved a 1.86 billion euro emergency infrastructure investment program for the overseas department. On April 21, two days before the first round of the French presidential election, an agreement was reached between the authorities and protest leaders for an additional 2.1 billion euros from the budget.
Post-Ministerial Career
On May 17, 2017, the Édouard Philippe government was formed, and the portfolio of Minister of Overseas Territories went to Annick Girardin, while Bareigts received no appointment.
In the parliamentary elections on June 18, 2017, Bareigts won in her former district with 65.83% of the vote. Following the Socialist Party's poor performance in the elections, the National Council established a collective leadership of 28 members, including Bareigts. However, she later clarified that her inclusion was a "technical error" and that she intended to focus on her role as official spokesperson for the "New Left" socialist faction in the National Assembly and on her constituency in Réunion.
On July 4, 2020, Bareigts was elected Mayor of Saint-Denis, the largest city in the French overseas territories and the administrative center of Réunion.
