Paris (AFP)

In the aftermath of the surprise appointments of Eric Dupond-Moretti to Justice and Roselyne Bachelot to Culture, Emmanuel Macron met on Tuesday the government of Jean Castex for his first Council of Ministers.

Place now for "practical work", as pointed out Tuesday morning on the President of the Senate Gérard Larcher, citing in particular the economic crisis, unemployment, the situation of young people, the Ségur de la santé or the pension reform and the addiction.

The meeting is set at 3 p.m. for this new team made up at this stage of sixteen ministers, fourteen deputy ministers and a secretary of state. The appointments of some state secretaries are expected in the coming days.

It is marked by the return to politics of the former Minister of Health of Chiraquia Roselyne Bachelot, a time converted into a TV columnist, who takes the portfolio of Culture. Another big surprise: the entry of a tenor of the bar, the criminalist Eric Dupond-Moretti, as Minister of Justice.

- Transfers -

In addition to these two appointments, the promotion of Gérald Darmanin to the Ministry of the Interior did not go unnoticed, replacing the former socialist Christophe Castaner.

Mr. Darmanin, a 37-year-old former "baby-Sarkozy", stressed during the handover of power to the Interior that this "French protection ministry" is therefore "the first social ministry", for the security of the most vulnerable. "He also promised the police his" total support ".

Throughout the morning, there are successive transitions in the ministries, in particular between Nicole Belloubet and Mr. Dupond-Moretti at Justice, between Elisabeth Borne - appointed Minister of Labor - and Barbara Pompili at the Ecological Transition or between Didier Guillaume and Julien Denormandie to Agriculture.

On the right, Bruno Le Maire remains in the Economy, but two other large portfolios remain in the hands of personalities from the PS like Jean-Yves Le Drian in Foreign Affairs and Florence Parly in the Armed Forces.

An ex-Green who became LREM, Barbara Pompili takes charge of a super-ministry of the Ecological Transition with two deputy ministers, Emmanuelle Wargon (Housing) and Jean-Baptiste Djebbari (Transport).

Among those who keep their portfolio are Jean-Michel Blanquer (National education, but also youth and sports), Jacqueline Gourault (Cohesion of territories), Olivier Véran (Solidarity and health), Marc Fesneau (Relations with Parliament), Jean-Baptiste Djebbari (Transport), Frédérique Vidal (Higher education) and Roxana Maracineanu (Sports delegate).

Some new portfolios reflect presidential priorities, such as that of Citizenship entrusted to Marlène Schiappa or that of Transformation and the public service for Amélie de Montchalin.

The set composed by Emmanuel Macron and his new head of government from the right confirms the center-of-center center of gravity of the government team. The latter recorded few new "takes" on the right or on the left, and the arrival of few local elected representatives except the Alsatian Brigitte Klinkert, president of the Haut-Rhin departmental council, appointed to employment and 'Insertion.

Local elected officials should, however, figure prominently among the Secretaries of State.

To make people forget the debacle of the municipal authorities and tackle the post-coronavirus crises, the new executive couple intends to speed up the pace. Jean Castex has planned to start receiving social partners from Wednesday evening, Thursday and Friday morning, particularly on the explosive pension issue.

A first start of controversy on this casting appeared Tuesday morning, the socialist senator Laurence Rossignol saying "puzzled on the capacity of the Minister of the Interior and the Minister of Justice to make the fight against sexual violence a of their priorities ", while" neither of these two men has so far shown the slightest interest in these subjects ".

In Parliament, work will resume on Wednesday, with questions to the government at 11:00 a.m. in the Assembly, then at 3:00 p.m. in the Senate. MEPs will then resume consideration of the 3rd draft crisis budget.

Emmanuel Macron intends to specify his course for the rest of the quinquennium during an interview on July 14. It is only then that the Prime Minister can make his declaration of general policy before the National Assembly.

© 2020 AFP