by Elizabeth Pineau and Sophie Louet
PARIS (Reuters) – The composition of Elisabeth Borne’s government, which will be responsible for leading the reforms of Emmanuel Macron’s second five-year term, was unveiled on Friday, with the maintenance of heavyweights such as Bruno Le Maire and Gérald Darmanin, l entrance of the Chiraquienne Catherine Colonna in Foreign Affairs and the surprise Pap Ndiaye in National Education.
Four days after the appointment of Elisabeth Borne at Matignon, the secretary general of the Elysée, Alexis Kohler, delivered the list of “the best team, with the best talents” that the new Prime Minister had called for on Thursday.
It has 27 members, including 13 women – 17 ministers, six deputy ministers, four state secretaries.
The first Council of Ministers will take place on Monday at 10:00 a.m.
Despite the desire for renewal of the Head of State, re-elected on April 24 for a five-year term with the promise of an unprecedented method of governance, the new government team is part of the continuity, with a right-wing tone marked.
A political coloring which may seem paradoxical given Emmanuel Macron’s commitments to open the prism of the executive to the left and to environmentalists after the presidential election.
Among the surprises, the appointment of the historic Chiraquian Catherine Colonna, current French ambassador to London, who was Minister Delegate for European Affairs from 2005 to 2007 in the government of Dominique de Villepin.
This expert in diplomatic files succeeds Jean-Yves Le Drian at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
A HISTORIAN IN THE STREET OF GRENELLE
Another surprise and symbolic distinction: the historian Pap Ndiaye, director of the museum of the History of immigration, specialist in the black question and the practices of racial discrimination in France and the United States, is appointed to National Education replacing Jean-Michel Blanquer. He had supported the socialist François Hollande for the presidential election of 2012.
Bruno Le Maire and Gérald Darmanin, former members of the Republicans (LR), keep their portfolio: Economy and Finance for the first in a redefined scope with the addition of Industrial and Digital Sovereignty, the Interior for the second.
Another right-wing defector, close to Edouard Philippe appreciated by “Macronie”, Sébastien Lecornu inherited the prestigious Ministry of the Armed Forces, replacing Florence Parly, after having taken charge of the Overseas Territories in the previous government.
News “taken” from the ranks of ex-Republicans: the mayor of Angers Christophe Béchu, who left LR in 2017, appointed Minister Delegate for Local Authorities, and Damien Abad, ex-head of the LR group in the Assembly who s is put on leave from the party on Thursday. He was appointed Minister of Solidarity, Autonomy and People with Disabilities. Franck Riester remains in Foreign Trade and Attractiveness.
GUERINI ENTERS THE GOVERNMENT
The faithful of the President of the Republic and “macronists” of the first hour remain: Clément Beaune, confirmed in European Affairs, Gabriel Attal, who leaves the spokesperson for the Ministry Delegate for Public Accounts, a promotion there again.
The outgoing Minister Delegate for Industry, Agnès Pannier-Runacher, becomes Minister for Energy Transition, the outgoing Minister for Transformation and Public Service, Amélie de Montchalin, becomes Minister for Ecological Transition and Territorial Cohesion.
Olivia Grégoire, former Secretary of State for Social Economy, is promoted to government spokesperson.
Newcomer, Stanislas Guerini, general delegate of Renaissance (ex-La République en Marche), is offered an important portfolio, Transformation and Public Service. As well as the outgoing deputy LREM Yaël Braun-Pivet, promoted to the Ministry of Overseas.
Olivier Véran moves from Health to Relations with Parliament. It is the former Minister of Autonomy Brigitte Bourguignon who takes over her portfolio.
Julien Denormandie (Agriculture) however leaves the adventure.
The Ministry of Justice remains under the leadership of Eric Dupond-Moretti, yet contested within the legal professions.
The centrist Marc Fesneau, close to François Bayrou, moved from Relations with Parliament to Agriculture.
The ex-socialist Olivier Dussopt, founder of “Territories of progress” which represents the left wing of the outgoing majority, leaves his previous functions as Minister Delegate for Public Accounts under Jean Castex to take charge of Labour, Full Employment and Insertion.
The current Culture and Communication adviser at the Élysée, the Franco-Lebanese Rima Abdul Malak, who made her political debut with the socialist mayor of Paris Bertrand Delanoë, has been appointed Minister of Culture.
Amélie Oudéa-Castéra, Director General of the French Tennis Federation, is appointed Minister of Sports and the Olympic and Paralympic Games, in a full-fledged ministry.
(Report Elizabeth Pineau, written by Sophie Louet, edited by Jean-Michel Bélot)