The French Elysee Palace announced that President Emmanuel Macron has appointed new Ministers of Foreign Affairs and Defense in the government headed by Élisabeth Borne, hoping to create positive momentum to maintain a parliamentary majority. A statement from the palace indicated that "Macron has chosen France's ambassador to London, Catherine Colonna, to be the Minister of Foreign Affairs, making her the second woman to hold this prestigious position, succeeding Jean-Yves Le Drian, who had been in the role since 2017." It added: "Former Minister for Overseas Territories Sébastien Lecornu has been tasked with the Defense portfolio, succeeding former Minister Florence Parly."
Colonna pledged, amid the crisis between Moscow and Kyiv, to "act effectively on the issue, while President Macron has worked to keep a diplomatic channel open with the Kremlin." The president, who was re-elected for a second term in April with 58.55% of the vote, aims to maintain a parliamentary majority to advance his domestic reform agenda, which includes changes to the social welfare system and pensions as well as tax cuts.
The biggest surprise came in the Ministry of Education, where renowned academic Pap Ndiaye, an expert in colonial history and racial relations, will replace the right-wing Jean-Michel Blanquer. It’s worth noting that last Monday, Macron appointed former Labor Minister Élisabeth Borne as Prime Minister, marking the first time a woman has held this position in France in over 30 years.
Opposition figures accused Macron of deliberately delaying the announcement of a new government, nearly four weeks after his electoral victory against far-right leader Marine Le Pen. Macron's party is expected to face its biggest challenge in next month's elections from the left, which has recently formed a new coalition, as Jean-Luc Mélenchon, leader of the "France Insoumise" party, seeks victory in the parliamentary elections in June after finishing third in the presidential elections.
Macron appointed prominent deputy from the "Republicans" party, Damien Abad, as Minister of Solidarity, Local Governance and Disabled Persons. Abad, 42, is the son of a miner from Nîmes in southern France and became the first deputy with a disability to be elected in 2012. Conversely, Macron retained Bruno Le Maire as Minister of Economy and Gérald Darmanin as Minister of the Interior.
Source: "AFP"
