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A sailor committed to the sea
Known to the general public since her participation in the 1996 Vendée Globe, Catherine Chabaud remains the first woman to complete a non-stop single-handed round-the-world race. Trained as a journalist, she then turned to maritime and political mediation, before joining the European Parliament.
Elected MEP in 2019 on the Renaissance list for the MoDem, she served until 2024, specializing in ocean, climate and European maritime governance issues. Her work focused in particular on the energy transition, the protection of marine ecosystems and recognition of the role of the oceans in climate regulation.
A figure from the sea at the head of the ministry
His appointment comes at a time of major challenges for the French maritime industry:
- deployment of marine renewable energies,
- development of a low-carbon naval and nautical industry,
- adapting ports and coastal infrastructures to climate change,
- regulation of maritime transport and support for the fishing industry.
Catherine Chabaud has already expressed on several occasions her desire to see maritime policy and ecological transition converge, insisting on the need for an "economic model for the sea based on sustainability and innovation".
A recognized voice in maritime circles
A member of the Académie de Marine and vice-president of the Institut Français de la Mer, she has helped bring together scientific, economic and institutional circles around the same vision: that of the sea as a common good.
His atypical career path, spanning journalism, sailing and European politics, gives him a legitimacy recognized by the maritime community.The creation or maintenance of the de la Mer portfolio has often been a signal to the industry. Against a backdrop of European regulatory pressure, accelerated energy transition and the need for cross-sector coordination (fisheries, defense, boating, transport, environment), expectations will be high.
Sailor turned parliamentarian, Catherine Chabaud embodies an expert yet committed approach to maritime issues. Her appointment as head of the Ministry of the Sea marks a symbolic return of a personality from the nautical world to the heart of political decision-making. It remains to be seen how this experience will translate into concrete policies in favor of the sea and those who live by it.
