French President Emmanuel Macron has unveiled his new government nearly three months after early general elections left parliament without an absolute majority.
The much-anticipated new formation, led by Prime Minister Michel Barnier, marks a decisive shift to the right, even though a left-wing alliance won most of the parliamentary seats.
Despite the partnership between Macron’s centrist party and those on the right, parliament remains fractured and will depend on the support of other parties to pass laws.
The decision comes as the European Union warns France against increasing its debt, which now far exceeds European rules.
Among those set to get a job in the new cabinet is Bruno Retailleau, a key member of the conservative Les Républicains party founded by former President Nicolas Sarkozy.
He was appointed interior minister, a portfolio that includes immigration.
In total, ten Republican politicians were given positions in the government, although Macron kept a number of outgoing ministers in key positions.
Macron’s close ally Sébastien Lecornu was kept on as Minister of Defence, and outgoing Minister of European Affairs Jean-Noël Barrot was promoted to Minister of Foreign Affairs.
Only one left-wing politician obtained a position in the government, the independent Didier Migaud, appointed Minister of Justice.
The post of finance minister was given to Antoine Armand, a member of Macron’s Renaissance party, who until now had little political fame.
Armand’s mission is to draft the government’s finance bill before the new year to address France’s glaring budget deficit.
Ahead of the snap election, the European Union’s executive had warned France that it would face sanctions for breaking the bloc’s financial rules.
The French public sector deficit is expected to reach around 5.6% of GDP this year and exceed 6% in 2025. The EU has set a 3% limit on deficits.
Michel Barnier, a veteran conservative, was appointed Macron’s prime minister earlier this month.
Barnier was the EU’s chief Brexit negotiator, and it was he who took on the task of forming a new government capable of surviving a divided National Assembly.
Members of the left-wing alliance, the New Popular Front (NFP), have threatened to file a motion of no confidence in the new government.
In the July elections, the NFP won the most parliamentary seats of any political bloc, but not enough to secure an absolute majority.
Far-left leader Jean-Luc Mélenchon called for the new government to be “gotten rid of” as quickly as possible.
On Saturday, before the announcement of the government’s composition, thousands of left-wing supporters demonstrated in Paris against the new government, arguing that the left’s performance in the elections had not been taken into account.
The alliance between centrist and conservative parties within the government is not enough on its own to pass laws.
It will depend on other parties, such as Marine Le Pen’s far-right National Rally, to stay in power and pass bills.
