Four weeks after Emmanuel Macron was re-elected, the composition of the new government under Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne was announced on Friday afternoon.

The 66-year-old diplomat Catherine Colonna will be the new Secretary of State.

She looks back on political experience as Europe Minister (2005-2007) and Presidential Spokeswoman (1995-2004).

As ambassador to Great Britain since 2019, she had to defuse the conflicts between Paris and London in the wake of Brexit.

Michael Wiegel

Political correspondent based in Paris.

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Responsibility for the Ministry of Defense will be transferred to 35-year-old Sébastien Lecornu, who previously served as overseas minister.

Macron relies on two civil right figures for the two key portfolios in wartime.

Finance and Economy Minister remains Bruno Le Maire, who also comes from the civil right.

According to the title, he is also responsible for “industrial and digital sovereignty”.

President Macron is also counting on continuity in the interior and justice ministries, Gérald Darmanin and Eric Dupont-Moretti remain in office.

The former Secretary of State for Europe, Clément Beaune, is promoted to Minister for Europe.

The nomination of the 56-year-old renowned historian Pap Ndiaye as Minister of Education came as a surprise.

Up until now, Ndiaye has been in charge of the Immigration Museum in Paris and has made a name for himself in dealing with colonialism.

The Minister for the Environment, Amélie de Montchalin, will head the Ministry of the Environment.

The fight against climate change is to be controlled directly by the Prime Minister thanks to "ecological planning".

The new Minister of Culture will be the 43-year-old Franco-Lebanese Rima Abdul-Malak, who previously worked as the President's cultural adviser in the Elysée.

The previous group leader of the right-wing party Les Républicains (LR), Damien Abad, is moving to the government table and becoming Minister for Solidarity and Autonomy.

In the LR party leadership, Abad's poaching aroused great displeasure.

The first cabinet meeting is scheduled to take place this Monday at the Elysée Palace.

Forming a government took an unusually long time.

As was usual in the Fifth Republic, President Macron exerted considerable influence on the distribution of ministerial posts.

Prime Minister Borne said they took their time putting together the best team.

It is hoped that the new government will provide impetus for the forthcoming elections to the National Assembly on June 12th and 19th.