Macron poised to unveil new government with major cabinet shake-up this weekend

RFI

20 September 2024 at 4:44 am·2-min read

French President Emmanuel Macron was on Friday weighing a long-awaited new government which includes fresh faces in almost all key posts and marks a shift to the right. The full line-up won't be announced today, Friday, but is due by Sunday following "final fine-tuning", Prime Minister Michel Barnier's office said.

Barnier submitted his proposed new cabinet to President Emmanuel Macron late Thursday evening. The final line-up, featuring new faces in most of the key offices of state, is due to be confirmed by Sunday at the latest, according to Barnier's office.

While there appeared to be no major surprise or big name entrants into the 38-member cabinet, it seemed to mark a tilt to the right from the previous more centrist government.

Barnier told right-wing and centrist groups at a meeting on Thursday afternoon that he was pondering a line-up of 16 main ministers including both their political families, politicians who were debriefed told French news agency AFP.

Gabriel Attal, his predecessor and now leader in parliament of Macron's Renaissance party, was at the meeting and told allies that the list included 10 names from their centrist alliance.

Boost France's international presence

Barnier is proposing Europe Minister Jean-Noel Barrot as foreign minister, a source close to Macron's political faction, asking not to be named, told AFP.

The move would be a major promotion for the 41-year-old, whose slick media appearances have impressed observers, but he would face the challenge of boosting France's presence on the international stage.

Landing the interior ministry, which oversees the police and domestic security, would be seen as a major success for the right.

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Boost France's international presence

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