Christophe Béchu

Christophe Béchu (; born 11 June 1974) is a French politician who served as Minister for Ecological Transition and Cohesion of the Territories in the governments of successive Prime Ministers Élisabeth Borne and Gabriel Attal from 2022 to 2024.

Béchu previously was the President of the General Council of the Maine-et-Loire department from 2004 to 2014. He briefly served as a Member of the European Parliament from 2009 until 2011, representing the West France constituency. A former member of the centre-right Union for a Popular Movement, He resigned in January 2011.

Béchu lost the regional election of 2010 to become President of Pays de la Loire region, but was elected as a regional councillor. In the 2011 elections, he was elected as a Senator of Maine-et-Loire, and thereafter resigned from regional council of Pays-de-Loire.

Mayor of Angers, 2014–2022 During the 2014 French municipal elections, Béchu competed against Frédéric Béatse, incumbent, and became the new mayor of Angers on 4 April 2014. Béchu was re-elected in 2020.

In 2016, Béchu caused controversy when he requested the removal of posters that had been installed as part of a governmental HIV/AIDS prevention campaign "not to expose a young public to a message they cannot understand“; at the time, Minister of Health Marisol Touraine denounced Béchu as "homophobe."

Career in government

Béchu briefly served as Minister of Relations with Local Authorities from 20 May to 4 July 2022.

In October 2023, Béchu participated in the first joint cabinet retreat of the German and French governments in Hamburg, chaired by Chancellor Olaf Scholz and President Emmanuel Macron.

Later career In 2026, Béchu joined the leadership team for Édouard Philippe’s 2027 presidential campaign, alongside Marie Guévenoux and Gilles Boyer.

Other activities Agence de financement des infrastructures de transport de France (AFITF), chair of the board of directors

Political positions In 2019, Béchu publicly declared his support for incumbent President Emmanuel Macron.

In 2022, Bechu sponsored regulations to re-allow lark hunting in France. This is after previous regulations were struck down as being a violation of EU law.