Patrice Vergriete

Patrice Vergriete (born 4 July 1968 in Dunkirk) is a French politician who has been serving as Minister Delegate for Transport in the government of Prime Minister Gabriel Attal. He previously was the Mayor of Dunkirk.

Biography
Born to a boilermaker father at Chantiers de France and a homemaker mother, he was raised in the bustling Glacis neighborhood of Dunkirk. Following his completion of the baccalaureate, he pursued further education in Paris by attending a scientific preparatory program at the prestigious Lycée Louis-le-Grand. Succeeding in the École Polytechnique entrance exam, he became a member of the class of 1989.

In 1995, he specialized at the École des ponts ParisTech, obtaining his diploma and became a bridge, water and forest engineer.

At the end of the 1990s, he began his professional career at the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development  (OECD), then joined the cabinets of Martine Aubry, then Minister of Employment and Solidarity, and Claude Bartolone at the  Responsible minister for the City (Ministre chargé de la Ville).

Political career
On September 1, 2018, the implementation of free bus services was initiated, making the urban community of Dunkirk the largest urban area in France and Europe to offer unrestricted access to its entire bus network.

In December 2019, Vergriete declared his intention to run for a second term as mayor. He secured re-election in the initial round of voting with 64% of the total votes.

In the July 2023 French government reshuffle, Vergriete was appointed Deputy Minister for Housing in the government of Prime Minister Élisabeth Borne.

On January 24, 2023, he was appointed as the president of AFIT France based on the recommendation from the Élysée.

On September 29, 2023, after being appointed as the delegate minister in charge of housing in the Élisabeth Borne government, he stepped down from his position as mayor of Dunkirk and assumed the role of first deputy mayor.

As of February 8, 2024, he holds the position of Minister ofTransport in the administration led by Gabriel Attal.