Corinne Lepage

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Corinne Lepage: a short, easy-to-understand overview

Who she is
Corinne Dominique Marguerite Lepage (born May 11, 1951) is a French environmental lawyer and politician. She has spent her career defending the environment and pushing for policies that protect people and nature. She studied at Sciences Po and Panthéon-Assas University, began practicing law in 1975, and has taught at universities in France.

Key moments in her political life
- Minister of the Environment (1995–1997): Lepage served in the government of Prime Minister Alain Juppé. She was one of the few women in the cabinet and aimed to show that environmentalism could help create jobs. She pushed for cleaner air laws and better rules on precaution and asbestos. She also faced controversy over the plan to relaunch the Superphénix nuclear reactor, which she refused to sign a decree for, signaling strong environmental resistance at times.
- Green and centrist activism: Lepage founded CAP 21 in 1996 and became its president. She helped found the centrist Mouvement démocrate (MoDem) and served as its vice-president for a time, until leaving the MoDem in 2010. She has often tried to bridge conservative and progressive ideas on environmental issues.
- European Parliament (2009–2014): She was elected as a Member of the European Parliament (MEP) for North-West France. She sat with the ALDE group (a liberal-electoral alliance) and became the first vice president of the ENVI Committee (Environment, Public Health and Food Safety). She also pushed for stronger action on environmental issues and helped establish the Seas and Coastal Areas intergroup.
- 2014 and beyond: Lepage ran in the 2014 European elections with Europe Citoyenne, but her list did not win enough votes to be re-elected.

Environmental activism and other work
Beyond politics, Lepage has been active in environmental law and advocacy. She worked with Paris and Brussels bar associations and co-founded organizations opposing harmful practices, such as CRIIGEN, which questions the safety of genetic engineering and GM foods. She also helped create the Observatory for Environmental Vigilance and Alertness. She has argued that real change requires active civil society and NGOs working alongside politicians.

Recent activity (as of the mid-2020s)
In 2024, Lepage and Yann Wehrling launched the Positive Ecology & Territories campaign for the European elections. That year she also filed a case at the European Court of Justice challenging the European Union’s decision to allow glyphosate to be sold for another ten years, arguing it should be re-evaluated in light of health concerns.

Publications and impact
Lepage has written several books on environment, precaution, health, and politics, sharing her ideas about how to combine sustainable development with practical governance. She remains a prominent voice in discussions about balancing environmental protection with economic and social needs.

Personal life
Corinne Lepage is married to lawyer Christian Huglo and has two children. She has had a long career as a lawyer, professor, and public figure, focused on defending the environment and promoting pragmatic, center-focused politics.