| Valérie Létard | |
| Office: | Senator for Nord |
| Term Start: | 14 December 2010 |
| Predecessor: | Béatrice Descamps |
| Office2: | Vice President of the Senate |
| Term Start2: | 4 October 2017 |
| President2: | Gérard Larcher |
| Office3: | Secretary of State for Climate |
| Term Start3: | 23 June 2009 |
| Term End3: | 13 November 2010 |
| President3: | Nicolas Sarkozy |
| Primeminister3: | François Fillon |
| Office4: | Secretary of State for Solidarity |
| President4: | Nicolas Sarkozy |
| Primeminister4: | François Fillon |
| Term Start4: | 19 June 2007 |
| Term End4: | 23 June 2009 |
| Birth Name: | Valérie Decourrière |
| Birth Date: | 13 October 1962 |
| Birth Place: | Orchies, France |
| Nationality: | French |
| Party: | UDI |
Valérie Létard (in French pronounced as /valeʁi letaʁ/; born 13 October 1962 in Orchies, Nord) is a French politician of the Union of Democrats and Independents (UDI) who served as Secretary of State for Solidarity in the government of François Fillon from 2007 to 2010.
Since 10 April 2008, Létard has been the president of the Valenciennes Agglomeration Community, elected with 83 percent of the vote.[1]
Létard served in the government of Prime Minister François Fillon under President of France Nicolas Sarkozy, first as Secretary of State for Solidarity (2007-2009)[2] and later for Climate (2009-2010).[3] During her time in office, she launched the government’s campaign in 2009 to warn potential victims of forced marriages and female genital mutilation.[4]
On 1 October 2011 Létard was a candidate for the Presidency of the Senate, against the outgoing president, Gérard Larcher (UMP) and Jean-Pierre Bel (PS). She received 29 votes.[5]
Ahead of the Republicans’ 2016 primaries, Létard endorsed Alain Juppé as the party’s candidate for 2017 presidential elections. In March 2017, in the context of the Fillon affair, she called on LR candidate François Fillon to withdraw his candidacy.
Following the 2017 legislative elections, Létard reportedly refused offers to become Minister of Housing and Urban Affairs in Prime Minister Édouard Philippe’s government.[6] On 4 October 2017 she was elected vice-president of the French Senate instead, under the leadership of Gérard Larcher.