There were no big surprises when the new French cabinet was announced. The team of ministers is very similar to the previous government under President Macron. With his new ministers, he opts for continuity. The new team consists of fourteen men and thirteen women.
The same minister will remain in three of the most important posts, the Interior, Economic Affairs and Justice. Other ministers and state secretaries change posts. And among the newcomers are many of Macron’s confidants.
This is how new faces appear at Foreign Affairs and Defense. That could be important in view of the war in Ukraine. Vocational diplomat and ambassador to London, Catherine Colonna, becomes Secretary of State. She is especially well versed in European issues. Minister of Defense will be Sébastien Lecornu, who until now was in charge of the French overseas territories.
It is striking that both ministers are considered moderate right-wingers. Colonna was the spokesperson for right-wing President Chirac for many years. Lecornu joined the right-wing party UMP at the age of 16. Their predecessors in Foreign Affairs and Defense under Macron were the moderate left.
Two climate ministers
In the new government, two ministers will also be appointed who are responsible for the climate. Macron wants to make tackling climate problems one of the priorities of his new presidency. Many observers have been surprised by the new Minister of Education: Pap Ndiaye. This historian, who specializes in racism and minority rights, has in the past called for voting ‘left’.
President Macron has taken ample time to reflect on his new squad of ministers. He won the election almost four weeks ago. Last week, the moderate left-wing Elisabeth Borne was already appointed as the new prime minister.
That Macron with his team of ministers now mainly opts for stability, confidants and old acquaintances comes as a surprise to many. Last month’s presidential elections showed that the French voters are very divided.
In the first round of voting, center candidate Macron received 28 percent of the vote. The radical right-wing Marine Le Pen received 23 percent and the radical left-wing Jean-Luc Mélenchon was close behind with 22 percent of the vote.
After beating Le Pen in the second round, Macron said he wants to be a “president of all French”. It was therefore taken into account that both outspoken right-wing and left-wing ministers would be appointed, but that has hardly happened.
Parliamentary elections in June
The new team of ministers will in any case remain in place until next month’s parliamentary elections. The outcome of this will determine whether ministers will be replaced. That could happen if the result for Macron’s party is disappointing.
Four left-wing opposition parties have decided to cooperate in parliamentary elections for the first time in a long time. That increases the chances of a left-wing majority. If it were to come, it is to be expected that a left-wing government will be formed that can count on the support of parliament.
That would be a major setback for Macron. If his own party, Renaissance, does not have a majority in parliament, he will have to make concessions and compromises.
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