Ex-PMs Manuel Valls, Elisabeth Borne appointed as ministers in new French govt

NEWS WIRES

23 December 2024 at 7:27 am·1-min read

The composition of French Prime Minister Francois Bayrou's new cabinet was unveiled on Monday, marking the return of several prominent figures to the Elysee Palace, including former prime ministers Elisabeth Borne and Manuel Valls.

French President Emmanuel Macron named a new government Monday evening, putting together a team under Francois Bayrou, his fourth prime minister of the year, to drag the second-largest EU economy out of political crisis.

Macron named former prime minister Elisabeth Borne, 63, education minister in a new cabinet under centrist Bayrou, announced Elysee secretary-general Alexis Kohler.

Another former premier, Manuel Valls, 62, returned as overseas territories minister, while former interior minister Gerald Darmanin became justice minister.

Both Defence Minister Sebastien Lecornu and Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot kept their jobs, the presidency said.

Lecornu, a 38-year-old loyalist with a keen political nose, has served in every government since Macron's first election as president in 2017.

Conservative Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau, who has vowed to crack down on illegal immigration, and right-wing Culture Minister Rachida Dati, also stayed in their posts.

The difficult job of delivering a budget plan for next year falls to Eric Lombard, head of public-sector lender Caisse des Depots (CDC), who was named economy minister.

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