There are new faces in the French government, but no significant changes have been made despite the results of the legislative elections. Emmanuel Macron, president, chose this Monday to form a government of continuity, keeping the heavyweights of the outgoing cabinet, and dispensed of Damien Abad (the Solidarity minister, accused of rape)
Macron reiterated the refusal of the opposition parties for participation in a government or coalition deal. Macron asked his ministers “hold on”, because the new five year period will be hard. With a relative majority of the National Assembly, Macron will have to reach an agreement with each party to pass legislation and implement reforms.
Two weeks after the election, the remodeling will take place. The president’s party and its aides lost the absolute majority of the lower house. “The president once more ignores the verdict in the polls, and the desire by the French for a different policy,” said Marine Le Pen, a far-right leader who was disappointed by the ministerial changes.
Elisabeth Borne will continue to be the Executive’s Prime Minister since May. Tomorrow, Borne will deliver her general policy speech before the National Assembly. Oliver Veran, the former Minister of Health and spokesperson for the new government, said that Borne will not ask for the confidence vote from parliamentarians. “Trust is not built, it is not requested.” This exercise is not mandatory for the prime minister.
Jean-Luc Melenchon’s La France Insumisa party confirmed that it will present a motion to censure the Executive on Wednesday. This is so that “it doesn’t mistreat democracy without impunity.” A government spokesperson regretted Melenchon’s desire to censor Borne before he speaks in hemicycle.
To replace three female ministers, and one secretary of state who did not win a seat at the National Assembly, a cabinet reshuffle was required. Macron and Borne had to also find a replacement to Yael BraunPivet, the overseas minister who was elected President of the National Assembly. She is the first woman to have held this office.
Some heavyweights, like Gerald Darmain (Interior), Bruno Le Maire(Economy) and Eric Dupond–Moretti (“Justice”) will remain in the same positions. Catherine Colonna (Foreign Affairs), Bruno Le Maire (Economy), and Eric Dupond-Moretti (Justice) will follow them. They were appointed in May. Marlene Schiappa (Secretary of State for Social and Solidarity Economy and Associative Life), a combative politician, is back at the Executive.
Clement Beaune (ex-Secretary of State for European Affairs) will take over the Transport portfolio. Laurence Boone (economist and former advisor to Francois Hollande) will take over the responsibility for Europe. The appointments of Francois Braun, an emergency doctor, to the post of Minister of Health and Christophe Bechu (a politician close with former Prime Minister Edouard Phillipe) to the position of head of Ecological Transition and Cohesion of the Territories are notable.
The new French Executive recognizes parity. 21 women and 21 men are included. However, the distribution of posts is not equal. There are 16 ministers, 11 are men and 5 are women. Nine out of ten Secretaries are women, however.
