«By decree of the President of the Republic dated August 16, 2022, Mrs. Emmanuelle Wargon is appointed president of the Energy Regulation Commission», indicates the brief text published in the Official Journal.
Ms Wargon had been proposed in July by the Élysée to chair the CRE, the independent authority responsible for guaranteeing the proper functioning of the French energy markets «for the benefit of the consumer», a mission all the more important with the crisis. in international markets. It is this commission which proposes the regulated tariffs for gas and electricity in France.
She is appointed «for a non-renewable term of six years», specifies the CRE in a press release. Ms. Wargon replaces Jean-François Carenco, who has become Minister Delegate for Overseas Territories.
The parliamentarians had expressed themselves in early August in a majority against his arrival at the head of the energy regulator, but had not gathered the qualified majority necessary to derail this appointment desired by the Elysée.
Ms. Wargon had received a total of 43 votes for and 48 against her appointment to both chambers. According to the Constitution, parliamentarians must however gather «at least three fifths of the votes cast» to oppose an appointment proposed by the president.
Emmanuelle Wargon, 51, was during the last five years Secretary of State for Ecology (2018-2020), then Minister of Housing (2020-2022). Candidate for the legislative elections in Val-de-Marne in June, she was beaten in the first round.
During her hearings with parliamentarians, she assured them of her independence.
«This appointment honors me and leads me to turn the page on politics. In accordance with the commitment made during the parliamentary hearings, I will exercise my mandate in complete independence, at the service of the French people», she declared, quoted in the CRE press release.