French President Emmanuel Macron announced a new government on Monday evening, appointing a team under François Bayrou, his fourth prime minister this year, in an effort to pull the second-largest EU economy out of political crisis
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French President Emmanuel Macron. File image/AFP
French President Emmanuel Macron announced a new government on Monday evening, appointing a team under François Bayrou, his fourth prime minister this year, in an effort to pull the second-largest EU economy out of political crisis.
Macron appointed former Prime Minister Élisabeth Borne as education minister, AFP quoted the presidency as announcing on Monday.
Another former premier, Manuel Valls, has returned as overseas territories minister, while former interior minister Gérald Darmanin takes on the role of justice minister. Both Defence Minister Sébastien Lecornu and Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot will continue in their positions, added the presidency.
Conservative Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau, who is committed to addressing illegal immigration, retained his position. The challenging task of formulating next year’s budget now falls to Eric Lombard, the new economy minister.
The inclusion of two former prime ministers signals Macron’s aim for a strong, stable government, hoping to avoid the fate of Bayrou’s predecessor, Michel Barnier. For 73-year-old Bayrou, the priority is to ensure his government withstands any no-confidence votes and successfully passes a cost-cutting budget for 2025.
Manuel Valls, who served as prime minister from 2014 to