It’s the end of a long period of uncertainty. In order to share “the roadmap chosen by the French”, in the words of the president of the Renaissance group in the National Assembly Aurore Bergé, and to replace the ministers defeated in the legislative elections, Emmanuel Macron proceeded, this Monday, July 4 , to a major cabinet reshuffle, two days before the general policy speech of Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne.
The new, bloated government now has 41 members, including 31 ministers. Parity is respected (21 men and 21 women including the head of government), even if women are over-represented in the posts of secretaries of state (9 against 1 only man), while they are less numerous as ministers full-time (11 men for 5 women).
Let’s start with the portfolios whose change was made necessary by the defeats of the ministers in the last legislative elections: in health, Brigitte Bourguignon leaves her place to François Braun, the head of emergencies of the CHR of Metz-Thionville and president of Samu-Urgences of France. For his part, Christophe Béchu, current Minister of Territorial Communities, of Edouard Philippe’s Horizons party, has been appointed Minister of Ecological Transition and Territorial Cohesion, replacing Amélie de Montchalin. The former prefect Jean-François Carenco becomes Minister of Overseas in place of Yaël Braun-Pivet, new President of the National Assembly.
Olivier Véran, who until then held the post of Minister Delegate in charge of Relations with Parliament, is appointed government spokesperson “in charge of democratic renewal”, replacing Olivia Grégoire, who will take care of SMEs. , trade, crafts and tourism within an enlarged center attached to Bercy. Franck Riester takes the place left by the former Minister of Health.
Damien Abad, accused of rape and sexual assault by several women – a new testimony was revealed on Monday by BFM TV – and now under investigation, leaves his post as Minister of Solidarity, replaced by Jean-Christophe Combe, current director General of the French Red Cross. Chrysoula Zacharopoulou, also accused of rape, remains in charge of Development, Francophonie and International Partnerships.
Clément Beaune, Minister Delegate for Europe, remains in government but changes scope since he will now be in charge of Transport. In her place between the former economic adviser to François Hollande, Laurence Boone.
Also note the return of Marlène Schiappa, appointed Secretary of State for the Social and Solidarity Economy and Associative Life. At the end of Emmanuel Macron’s first term, she held the post of Minister Delegate for Citizenship, but had not been reappointed after his re-election. As well as Sarah El Haïry, Secretary of State in charge of Youth and Universal National Service.
Among the other responsibilities: Franck Riester replaces Olivier Véran at the Ministry of Relations with Parliament. The mayor of Clichy-sous-Bois, Olivier Klein, becomes Minister of Housing and Geneviève Darrieusecq is appointed Minister Delegate to the Minister of Health and Solidarity. Caroline Cayeux, member of the Les Républicains party, inherits local authorities, while the economist and deputy of Yvelines Jean-Noël Barrot will be appointed Minister Delegate for Digital.
The Minister of the Interior, Gérald Darmanin, sees his portfolio extended to include local authorities and overseas. Bruno Le Maire unsurprisingly retains the head of the Ministry of Economy and Finance, as he had already announced on the airwaves of France Inter, in the morning. No movement elsewhere, neither in culture, nor in education or even in labor as well as in foreign affairs. In the preamble to the first Council of Ministers of the new government, which was held shortly after 4 p.m., Emmanuel Macron deplored the refusal of “government parties” to participate in “any form of coalition”.
