New French government announced in shift to the right
September 21, 2024
Following months of political uncertainty in France, President Emmanuel Macron's chief of staff, Alexis Kohler, announced the formation of the new government on Saturday.
It comes more than two months after snap runoff elections produced a hung parliament in which the left-wing New Popular Front (NFP) coalition secured the most seats in the June-July elections but failed to win an outright majority.
Key government appointments
The 38-member Cabinet announced on Saturday includes primarily ministers from Macron's centrist alliance and the conservative Republicans party.
Centrist politician Jean-Noel Barrot will become the new foreign minister and is known for his work in digital transformation and also European affairs.
Antoine Armand will serve as finance minister and will be thrust head-on into balancing the books for the upcoming 2025 budget. The 33-year-old has previously served as head of parliament's Economic Affairs Commission.
Returning to his position as defense minister will be Sebastien Lecornu who has been involved in strengthening France's military capabilities as well as playing a key role in managing military aid for Ukraine.
The new minister of the interior was named as conservative politician Bruno Retailleau, who will be tasked with handling domestic issues, including national security, immigration and law enforcement.
France en route towards stricter migration policies
Seventy-three-year-old veteran politician Michel Barnier was named by Macron as prime minister earlier this month and is probably best known for leading the European Union's Brexit negotiations with the UK.
In an indication of a tough new stance on immigration, Barnier said in his first television interview since taking office that he was going to change the perception that France's borders were "porous as a sieve."
Before the announcement of the new government was even made, protesters took to some streets in Paris and the southern port city of Marseilles over a government they say does not represent the results of the parliamentary poll.
kb/sms (AP, Reuters)