SHARE
COPY LINK

POLITICS

Who’s who in France’s new government?

France's new cabinet posed for its official photograph on Wednesday, standing in an unusual, spaced formation to observe social distancing amid the coronavirus outbreak.

Who's who in France's new government?
France's new government. Photo: Elysee

Rather than the traditional shoulder-to-shoulder group shot, the portrait is taken from afar to fit President Emmanuel Macron's new 43-member team into the frame on the Elysée Palace's lawn.

The new government was thrashed out earlier this month in a reshuffle seen by analysts as a bid by Macron to improve his reelection chances in 2022.

“The French expect concrete results from us. This is what we are committed to! Let us continue change to build a better economic, social, environmental and cultural future,” Macron tweeted with the new portrait.

 

So who are they?

1. There are 30 ministers in the government, plus 12 junior ministers. With newly appointed prime minister Jean Castex and Macron himself that makes 44 people in the country's top team.

2. It's the largest government France has had since 2004, with an increase of six ministers from the previous government lead by Edouard Philippe.

3. It's pretty nearly gender balanced with 20 women and 22 men, although a number of the most prominent roles remain in male hands including Jean-Yves Le Drian as foreign minister, Jean-Michel Blanquer in education, Olivier Véran in health, Bruno Le Maire in finance and the prime minister Jean Castex.

4. Probably the most controversial appointment is Gérald Darmanin. The former junior finance minister has been promoted to interior minister, making him nominal head of the French police. That's the same French police who may well end up investigating him over a rape allegation from 2006 which the appeal court has ordered reopened.

5. It has taken three weeks to select the entire group, with the names of the junior ministers released on Sunday night after Castex was appointed by Macron on July 3rd.

For the full list of all the ministers and their responsibilities, click here.

 

 

 

Member comments

Log in here to leave a comment.
Become a Member to leave a comment.

POLITICS

French PM says new government names will be revealed ‘before Sunday’

France's long-running political deadlock finally reached a conclusion on Thursday night as newly-appointed prime minister Michel Barnier travelled to the Presidential palace to present his new government.

French PM says new government names will be revealed 'before Sunday'

Prime Minister Michel Barnier’s office said on Thursday that he would “go to the Elysée to propose to the president a government that is ready to serve France”.

After a meeting earlier on Thursday afternoon with the heads of political parties, Barner then travelled to the Elysée Palace on Thursday evening to meet president Emmanuel Macron.

Their meeting lasted for just under an hour and at the end journalists saw Macron showing Barnier out saying Merci beaucoup, à demain (thanks very much, see you tomorrow).

After the meeting, Barnier’s office said he had had a “constructive exchange” with the president and that the full list of names of the new ministers will be made public “before Sunday, after the usual checks have been made”.

French media reported that the full list of 38 names, of which 16 will be full minsters, includes seven ministers from Macron’s centrist group, two from fellow centrists MoDem and three from Barnier’s own party, the right-wing Les Républicains.

Listen to John Lichfield discussing the challenges that Barnier faces in the latest episode of the Talking France podcast – download here or listen on the link below

Barnier’s statement said that “after two weeks of intensive consultations with the different political groups” he has found the architecture of his new government, adding that his priorities would be to;

  • Improve the standard of living for the French and the workings of public services, especially schools and healthcare
  • Guarantee security, control immigration and improve integration
  • Encourage businesses and agriculture and build upon the economic attractiveness of France
  • Get public finances under control and reduce debt

France has been in a state of limbo ever since parliamentary elections in July produced a deadlock with no group coming close to winning enough seats for a majority.

A caretaker government remained in place over the summer while president Emmanuel Macron declared an ‘Olympics truce’.

He finally appointed the right-wing former minister and ex-Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier on September 5th.

Barnier has spent the last two weeks in intense negotiations in his attempt to form a government that won’t immediately be brought down through a motion of no-confidence in parliament.

Numerous left-wing politicians are reported to have refused to serve in his government while several high-profile Macronists have also ruled themselves out, including long-serving finance minister Bruno Le Maire who last week announced that he was quitting politics.

The reported make up of the new government does not reflect the election result – in which the leftist Nouveau Front Populaire coalition came first, followed by Macron’s centrists with the far-right Rassemblement National in third – but Barnier’s hope is that enough MPs will support it to avoid an immediate motion de censure (vote of no confidence).

The government’s first task will be to prepare the 2025 budget, which is already a week late. France’s soaring budget deficit and threat of a downgrade from ratings agencies mean that it will be a tricky task with Barnier, who has prepared the ground for tax hikes by warning that the situation is ‘very serious’.

SHOW COMMENTS