The new Prime Minister of France, Gabriel Attal, 34, presented his government this Thursday, January 11, keeping several members of the previous cabinet in their positions, including the head of the Interior portfolio, Gérald Darmanin, a hardline , and the controversial Minister of Justice, Éric Dupond-Moretti.
First modification:
2 min
Under the French system, the president sets general policy, while the prime minister is responsible for selecting a cabinet and managing the day-to-day running of the government. Gabriel Attal, 34, is the youngest prime minister in the country's history and the first openly gay French head of government.
The new French Government was officially announced by the secretary general of the Elysee Palace, Alexis Kohler. The statement was made from the Winter Garden of the presidential palace.
Several heavyweights of French politics maintained their positions. In addition to Darmanin and Dupond-Moretti, Bruno Le Maire retained his position in the Finance portfolio and Sébastien Lecornu continues as Defense Minister.
Stéphane Séjourné, Attal's partner, was appointed French Foreign Minister, replacing Catherine Colonna.
Several women were also nominated for key positions, among them the former Chief of Justice Rachida Dati, who took over as the new Minister of Culture. Dati, who was Minister of Justice during the mandate of Nicolas Sarkozy (2007-2012), had to leave the conservative party Les Républicains to take on her new position.
Catherine Vautrin was appointed Minister of Health and Labor, while Amélie Oudéa-Castéra will lead the Ministry of Education.
Other cabinet appointments announced Thursday include:
- Minister of Agriculture: Marc Fesneau
- Minister of the Environment: Christophe Béchu
- Minister of Women's Affairs: Aurore Bergé
French President Emmanuel Macron chose the media-savvy 34-year-old Attal to breathe new life into his second term. due to the drop in his approval ratings. His nomination sent a signal of change, with Macron seeking to revamp his government after a year of turmoil over a controversial pension reform and an immigration law that critics say made too many concessions to the far right.
Following his appointment on Tuesday, Attal vowed to be bold in helping the middle class cope with the rising cost of living, underscoring Macron's desire to overcome his divisive pension reform and improve his party's chances in parliamentary elections. European in June.
With Macron unable to run again, several ministers have publicly expressed concern that far-right leader Marine Le Pen has her best chance yet to win the Presidency in 2027.
The reshuffle will likely intensify competition within Macron's camp to succeed him in the next presidential election in 2027, with former Prime Minister Édouard Philippe, Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin and Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire seen as possible candidates. , along with the rapidly rising Attal.
Thursday's appointments kept some experienced politicians in key positions following criticism from some French politicians who expressed doubts about Attal's age and lack of experience.
François Bayrou, a key ally of the president and leader of the MoDem party who is close to his ruling faction, raised doubts in comments to the newspaper Le Parisien, questioning whether Attal “had the necessary experience to lead a country going through such deep difficulties.”
Prisca Thevenot, previously assistant youth minister, was appointed government spokesperson.
With AFP and Reuters
#France #prime #minister #confirms #ministers #Defense #Justice #Interior #office
