Valérie Hayer (French pronunciation: [valeʁi ɛje]; born 6 April 1986) is a French lawyer and politician who has been serving as a Member of the European Parliament (MEP) since 2019 in the Renew Europe.[1] Since 2024, she has been leading the Renew Europe group in parliament. She is a member of Renaissance (RE, formerly La République En Marche!), which she joined in 2017 following her departure from the Union of Democrats and Independents (UDI).
Valérie Hayer | |
|---|---|
 Hayer in 2024 | |
| Leader of Renew Europe | |
| Assumed office 25 January 2024 | |
| Preceded by | Stéphane Séjourné |
| Member of the European Parliament | |
| Assumed office 2 July 2019 | |
| Constituency | France |
| Departmental councillor of Mayenne for the canton of Château-Gontier-sur-Mayenne-1 | |
| In office 2 April 2015 – 27 June 2021 | |
| Preceded by | New seat |
| Succeeded by | Dominique de Valicourt |
| Municipal councillor of Saint-Denis-d'Anjou | |
| In office 21 March 2008 – 1 July 2019 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 6 April 1986 Château-Gontier, France |
| Political party | LREM/RE (since 2017) Renew Europe (since 2019) |
| Other political affiliations | AC-UDI (2015–2017) |
| Alma mater | University of Angers Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne University |
Early life
editHayer is the daughter of dairy farmers from La Mayenne in northwestern France.[2]
Political career
editParliamentary assistant
editHayer worked as a parliamentary assistant for several members of the Senate of France, including Pierre Jarlier of the Union of Democrats and Independents (UDI) and then of LREM, and then for the MEP Jean Arthuis.[3]
Member of the European Parliament
editIn the European Parliament, Hayer has served on the Committee on Budgets. She is also her parliamentary group's coordinator on the committee.[4] In 2020, she served as the Parliament's co-rapporteur (alongside José Manuel Fernandes) on a successful motion to assign new tax revenues to the budget of the European Union to repay its joint borrowing of 750 billion euros ($888 billion) for economic recovery after the COVID-19 pandemic.[5] She is also part of the Parliament's negotiating team for the long-term EU budget (MFF) and own resources reform.[6]
In addition to her committee assignments, Hayer is part of the Parliament's delegation for relations with the countries of Southeast Asia and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).[7] She is also a member of the European Internet Forum,[8] the European Parliament Intergroup on Artificial Intelligence and Digital,[9] the European Parliament Intergroup on LGBT Rights[10] and the MEPs Against Cancer group.[11]
In October 2021, Hayer and Marie-Pierre Vedrenne were appointed as co-chairs of President Emmanuel Macron's Renaissance electoral list in the European Parliament, replacing Stéphane Séjourné.[12]
Hayer is also the president of the Association for European Revival, which is financed by LREM.[13]
Renew Europe leadership (2024–present)
editIn January 2024, Hayer was elected to succeed Séjourné as leader of Renew Europe, then the parliament’s third-largest political grouping.[14][15] At 37 years, she became the youngest-ever liberal parliamentary leader as well as the first female one since Simone Veil.[15] On February 29, 2024, Hayer confirmed being named head of the “Need for Europe” list of the presidential majority for the 2024 European elections.[16]
In the June 2024 European Parliament election, she led the Ensemble (political coalition) formed by Emmanuel Macron as part of Renaissance (French political party) to a second-place finish, with 14.86% of the French national votes.[17][18][19]
Political positions
editForeign policy
editIn March 2024 Hayer criticised Marine Le Pen and Viktor Orban for their relationships with Russian president Vladimir Putin, accusing them of appeasement.[20] During the 2024 State visits by Xi Jinping to France, Serbia and Hungary, she stated that the persecution of Uyghurs in China could be considered genocide and that Europe had been "too naive" in its relations with China.[21]
References
edit- ^ Cazenave, Fabien (27 May 2019). "Parlement européen. Qui sont les 79 eurodéputés élus en France ?". Ouest-France.fr (in French). Retrieved 3 March 2020.
- ^ Henry Foy (26 January 2024), Why the EU parliament’s new liberal leader believes she can beat the far right Financial Times.
- ^ Alan Le Bloa (10 April 2019), Européennes. Pour la Mayennaise Valérie Hayer, « l’Europe est une puissance qui s’ignore » Ouest-France.
- ^ Koert Debeuf (22 November 2019), The EU debate on its own resources EUobserver.
- ^ Jan Strupczewski (September 16, 2020), European Parliament votes for new taxes in EU to repay recovery borrowing Reuters.
- ^ Maïa de La Baume and David M. Herszenhorn (July 22, 2020), Sidelined on recovery, Parliament plans battle over EU budget Politico Europe.
- ^ Valérie Hayer European Parliament.
- ^ Members European Internet Forum.
- ^ Intergroup on Artificial Intelligence and Digital European Parliament.
- ^ Members European Parliament Intergroup on LGBTI Rights
- ^ MAC MEPs in the 2019-24 legislature MEPs Against Cancer.
- ^ Nisa Khan (29 October 2021), Movers and Shakers The Parliament Magazine.
- ^ Rym Momtaz, Maïa de La Baume, Laura Kayali, Sarah Anne Aarup, Louise Guillot, Paola Tamma, Simon Van Dorpe and Hans von der Burchard (31 December 2021), The French people Europe needs to know Politico Europe.
- ^ Eddy Wax (24 January 2024), French Renew MEP Valérie Hayer on course to lead European Parliament’s third-largest faction Politico Europe.
- ^ a b Henry Foy (26 January 2024), Why the EU parliament’s new liberal leader believes she can beat the far right Financial Times.
- ^ Arthur de Laborde (24 May 2024), PORTRAIT - Qui est Valérie Hayer, tête de liste de la majorité pour les élections européennes ? Europe 1.
- ^ "Résultats européennes 2024 : Jordan Bardella en tête, Valérie Hayer en deuxième position, Glucksmann troisième". 9 June 2024.
- ^ "Élections européennes 2024: Bardella à 31,36%, Hayer à 14,60%... Voici les résultats définitifs du vote".
- ^ "Résultats élections européennes : Jordan Bardella largement en tête devant Valérie Hayer et Raphaël Glucksmann". 9 June 2024.
- ^ Herreros, Romain (10 March 2024). "Européennes 2024 : Valérie Hayer fait hurler les historiens avec sa « comparaison stupide »". Huffington Post France. Retrieved 13 May 2024.
- ^ "Valérie Hayer, eurodéputée et candidate aux européennes, estime possible « un génocide » contre les Ouïgours en Chine". Le Monde. 6 May 2024. Retrieved 13 May 2024.