The French presidency revealed today, Friday, the new line-up of the government headed by Elizabeth Born, and assigned the foreign affairs portfolio to Catherine Colonna to succeed Jean-Yves Le Drian, while the Ministers of the Interior, Gerald Darmannan and Finance, Borno Le Maire, each retained his position.
Sebastien Locorno was also appointed Minister of Defense in the new squad, succeeding Florence Parly.
On Monday, President Emmanuel Macron appointed Justice Minister Elizabeth Bourne, 61, as head of government, following the resignation of outgoing Prime Minister Jean Castix, with this appointment becoming the second woman to hold this position in France.
The French news agency reported that the biggest surprise occurred in the position of the Ministry of Education, as the famous academic Bab Ndiaye, an expert in colonial and minority history, will succeed Jean-Michel Blanquet.
Seating distribution
As with previous Macron governments, cabinet seats are divided equally between men and women, and the French president has continued his habit of attracting faces from opposition parties, appointing a prominent Republican MP, Damien Abad, as Minister of Solidarity, Local Government and People with Special Needs.
The announcement of the new government comes weeks before legislative elections scheduled for next month, in which Macron hopes to maintain his parliamentary majority.
The announcement of the new government comes weeks before the legislative elections scheduled for next month, in which Macron hopes to maintain his parliamentary majority.
President Macron, 44, won a second term in office after defeating his opponent, far-right candidate Marine Le Pen, in the second round of presidential elections on April 24.
Macron accusations
Macron's party is expected to face its biggest challenge in next month's elections from the left-wing movement, which recently formed a new front called the "Left Alliance".
The leader of the "Rebel France" party, Jean-Luc Melenchon, is looking forward to achieving a victory in the parliamentary elections on June 12 and 19, after he ranked third in the presidential elections.
Melenchon finally persuaded the Socialist and Communist parties and the Green Party to enter into a coalition under his leadership that would unite the left on a front for the first time in decades.