France gets a more right-wing government after weeks of uncertainty

NO UNCERTAINTY, 

THE LEFT WON AND ARE LOCKED OUT

The French presidential palace unveiled a long-awaited new government Saturday dominated by conservatives and centrists. It came more than two months after elections that produced a hung parliament and deepened political divisions as France grapples with growing financial and diplomatic challenges.


Issued on: 21/09/2024 - 21:09Modified: 21/09/2024 - 21:57
4 min
Barnier's first big job will be to get a budget passed in parliament © JEFF PACHOUD / POOL/AFP
By:FRANCE 24Follow|FRANCE 24
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French President Emmanuel Macron named a new government led by Prime Minister Michel Barnier Saturday, marked by a shift to the right 11 weeks after an inconclusive parliamentary election.

The first major task for Barnier, appointed just over two weeks ago, will be to submit a 2025 budget plan addressing France's financial situation, which the prime minister this week called "very serious".

Conservative Barnier is best known internationally for leading the European Union's Brexit negotiations with the UK.

More recently, he has had the difficult job of submitting a cabinet for Macron's approval that has the best chance of surviving a no-confidence motion in parliament.

Tough talks on the distribution of the 39 cabinet posts continued right up to Saturday's official announcement, insiders said, with moments of high tension between the president and his prime minister.

Bardella said the new government marked 'a return to Macronism' and had 'no future whatsoever' © JULIEN DE ROSA / AFP/File

Opposition politicians from the left have already announced they will challenge his government with a confidence motion.

In the July election, a left-wing bloc called the New Popular Front (NFP) won the most parliamentary seats of any political bloc, but not enough for an overall majority.

Macron argued that the left would be unable to muster enough support to form a government that would not immediately be brought down in parliament.

He turned instead to Barnier to lead a government drawing mostly on parliamentary support from Macron's allies, as well as from the conservative Republicans (LR) and the centrists groups.

'Government of the general election losers'

Macron was counting too, on a neutral stance from the far right -- but the leader of the National Rally (RN) Jordan Bardella was quick to condemn the composition of the new government.

It marked "a return to Macronism" and so had "no future whatsoever", he said Saturday.

Melenchon dismissed the new government as made up of 'general election losers' 

© Lionel BONAVENTURE / AFP/File

At the other end of the political spectrum, far-left firebrand Jean-Luc Melenchon called the new lineup "a government of the general election losers".

France, he said, should "get rid" of the government "as soon as possible", while his party threatened to "increase popular pressure" on the government.

Socialist party chairman Oliver Faure dismissed Barnier's cabinet as "a reactionary government that gives democracy the finger".

Among the new faces in key cabinet posts are Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot, a centrist, while conservative Bruno Retailleau takes over at the interior ministry.

His portfolio covers immigration and his right-wing credentials have created unease even in Macron's own camp.

Defence Minister Sebastien Lecornu, a close Macron ally, has kept his job.

The difficult job of submitting a budget plan to parliament next month falls to 33-year-old Antoine Armand, the new finance minister. He has previously served as head of parliament's economic affairs commission.

The only left-of-centre politician is a little-known former Socialist Didier Migaud who was named justice minister.

Street protests

Even before the announcement, thousands of people with left-leaning sympathies took to the streets in Paris, the southern port city of Marseille and elsewhere on Saturday to protest.

They were objecting to a cabinet they say does not reflect the outcome of the parliamentary election.

The new government has nobody from inside the NFP bloc.

"I am here because this outcome does not correspond to how people voted," said Violette Bourguignon, 21, demonstrating in Paris.

Barnier is to address parliament with a key policy speech on October 1.

He then has the urgent task of submitting a budget plan to the National Assembly aimed at controlling France's rising budget deficit and debt mountain -- the first major test of his administration.

France was placed on a formal procedure for violating European Union budgetary rules before Barnier was picked as head of government.

France's public-sector deficit is projected to reach around 5.6 percent of GDP this year and go over six percent in 2025, which compares with EU rules calling for a three-percent ceiling on deficits.

"I am discovering that the country's budgetary situation is very serious," Barnier said in a statement to AFP on Wednesday, adding that the situation required "more than just pretty statements".

The new cabinet's first meeting is scheduled for Monday afternoon.

(FRANCE 24 with AFP)

France's PM Barnier appoints new government in shift to right

French Prime Minister Michel Barnier on Saturday unveiled his new government after months of political deadlock in the wake of inconclusive snap elections. The cabinet line-up marks a shift to the right as left-wing protesters took to the streets for a second round of demonstrations. Read FRANCE 24’s live coverage of the day’s events.


Issued on: 21/09/2024 -

This combination of files photographs created on September 21, 2024 shows newly-appointed members of the cabinet of French Prime Minister Michel Barnier (topL) following its announcement (From top 1st row-top-from left) Justice Minister Didier Migaud; Minister for regional partnership and decentralisation, Catherine Vautrin; Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau; Education Minister Anne Genetet and Foreign and European Affairs Minister Jean-Noel Barrot. (2nd row-from left) Culture Minister Rachida Dati; Minister for the Armed Forces Sebastien Lecornu; Minister for Ecological Transition, Energy, Climate and risk prevention Agnes Pannier-Runacher; Minister for Economy, Finance and Industry Antoine Armand; Minister for Health and access to care Genevieve Darrieussecq. (Bottom row-from left) Minister of Solidarity, Autonomy and Gender Equality Paul Christophe; Minister of housing and urban renewal Valerie Letard; Minister of Agriculture, food sovereignty and forestry Annie Genevard; Minister of labour and employment Astrid Panosyan-Bouvet; Minister of sports, youth and associations Gil Averous; Higher Education and Research Minister Patrick Hetzel; Minister for the civil service, simplification and transformation of public action Guillaume Kasbarian; Minister attached to the Prime Minister, responsible for Overseas Francois-Noel Buffet; Minister attached to the Prime Minister, responsible for the budget and public accounts Laurent Saint-Martin. © AFP

By: FRANCE 24

Summary:

The French presidential palace unveiled a new centre-right government Saturday, more than two months after elections that produced a hung parliament and deepened political divisions as France grapples with economic and diplomatic challenges.

The government, led by conservative Michel Barnier, the European Union's former Brexit negotiator, will face the tough task of having to plug a gaping hole in public finances, which could involve having to decide politically toxic tax rises.

The 39-member Cabinet includes primarily ministers from Macron's centrist alliance and the conservative Republicans.

The makeup and direction of France's government is important because the country is a leading voice in EU policy, among the biggest world's economies and a nuclear-armed, veto-wielding member of the UN Security Council.

Last to first

France unveils a more right-wing government after deadlock

France unveiled a new government on Saturday that aims to strike a fine balance between right-wingers and centrists to break political deadlock following snap elections that delivered a hung parliament.

Benjamin Haddad, Europe minister

Haddad, 38, a fluent English-speaker with excellent contacts in Washington, DC, where he spent years working at a think-tank, was first elected to parliament in 2022 under Macron's party colours.

He has been vocal on diplomatic issues and especially the war in Ukraine, having convinced tens of European lawmakers to sign a plea to the U.S. Congress to unlock aid for Ukraine at the end of 2023.


Sébastien Lecornu to stay on as defence minister

Sébastien Lecornu retains his post as defense minister. He has been instrumental in bolstering France’s military capabilities, including modernizing defense systems and managing military aid to Ukraine. His leadership in defense will be crucial as France navigates its role within NATO and handles rising geopolitical tensions over the wars in Ukraine and the Mideast.


Sebastien Lecornu has been appointed Minister for the Armed Forces by French Prime Minister on September 21, 2024. © Miguel Medina, AFP
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Antoine Armand named finance minister

A relative newcomer to politics, Armand, 33, was first elected to parliament in 2022 on the centrist ticket of Macron's camp and was re-elected in July's snap legislative election.

In the new parliament, he had been set to head the economic committee in the lower house until Barnier tapped him for the top job at the powerful Ministry of Economics and Finance.

Armand is no stranger to "Bercy" as the ministry is often called in France, having joined its elite corps of finance inspectors after graduating in 2018 from the prestigious Ecole Nationale d'Administration - a training college for future senior civil servants that Macron also attended.

He will be seconded by Laurent Saint-Martin on budget issues, a delicate portfolio that will report directly to the prime minister, as France struggles to contain a rising budget deficit and contemplates spending cuts and tax hikes.

"I'm immensely honoured to be nominated finance minister", wrote Armand on X. "Thank you to the President of the Republic and to the Prime minister for their trust."


Jean-Noel Barrot named minister for Europe and foreign affairs

Barrot, 41, is promoted to foreign minister after serving as junior minister for European affairs since February 2024. Before that he was Macron's minister for digital affairs.

Barrot comes from a family with a strong political background. His father, Jacques Barrot, was a prominent French politician who served in various ministerial positions and as a European commissioner.

He provides essential political balance for the government, hailing from the centrist party of Francois Bayrou, the political veteran whose independent MoDem party Macron needs to keep on his side.

"Upon the suggestion of the Prime minister, I was nominated minister for Europe and foreign affairs by the President of the Republic," wrote Barrot on X.

"My engagement is to make the voice of France heard, and stand up to the challenges facing us."


Conservative Senator Brunon Retailleau named interior minister

A conservative senator since 2004, Bruno Retailleau, 63, is known for his hard-right views and is the most senior figure from his Republicans (LR) party to enter Barnier's government.

Retailleau was a driving force behind the party's shift to the right in an increasingly polarised political landscape, in particular on hot-button issues such as immigration.

As leader of the conservative group of senators, Retailleau has criticised Macron's latest attempts to toughen immigration rules, calling for a much tougher stance that would include constitutional changes allowing welfare benefit cuts.

He has also urged tougher policing on left-wing and environmental protesters and opposed Macron's push to add the right for women to pursue an abortion to the constitution.



Bruno Retailleau has been appointed Interior Minister Minister by French Prime Minister on September 21, 2024. 

Julien de Rosa, AFP

Antoine Armand will be finance minister and Jean-Noel Barrot will be foreign minister in a government composed largely of centrist and conservative parties, Alexis Kohler said from the presidential Elysee Palace late on Saturday.

Conservative French Prime Minister Michel Barnier put together the government after weeks of difficult negotiations, and President Emmanuel Macron approved it. The new government was announced at the presidential palace.

'This would bring to an end two and a half months of political uncertainty'

"An announcement [on France's new government] does appear to be imminent, with Prime Minister Michel Barnier putting in phone calls to outgoing, incoming ministers that will make up his new cabinet", said Andrew Hilliar, FRANCE 24 journalist. "On Friday evening, he submitted a list of 38 names to President Emmanuel Macron, so this would bring to an end two and a half months of political uncertainty.

France is expected to finalise a new government by Sunday, with President Emmanuel Macron and Prime Minister Michel Barnier negotiating a cabinet reshuffle that marks a shift to the right. After months…