The French woman of Lebanese descent, Rima Abdul Malak, has crowned her career with her appointment as Minister of Culture in Élisabeth Borne's government, succeeding Minister Roselyne Bachelot, who held the position since the summer of 2020. Social media in Lebanon lit up with the news of the appointment of the "daughter of the cedar" as a minister in France, expressing pride in her and all those who preceded her in raising their country's name abroad.
In a call with the new minister's uncle, Samir Abdul Malak, he emphasized how proud he is of his niece, noting to "Al-Hurra" that she deserves this position fairly after an honorable career journey. Prior to her ministerial appointment, Abdul Malak held several positions. After graduating from the Institute of Political Studies in Lyon in 1999 and obtaining a postgraduate degree in Development and International Cooperation from the Panthéon-Sorbonne University in 2000, she managed the "Clowns Without Borders" program from 2001 to 2006. She then served as a cultural advisor to the City of Paris and later as an advisor to Mayor Bertrand Delanoë. In 2017, she was appointed cultural attaché at the French Embassy in New York.
In 2019, Abdul Malak reached the Élysée Palace, working as an advisor to the president, succeeding Claudia Ferrazi. During that time, she successfully implemented significant cultural projects. Her uncle told "Al-Hurra": "Rima, who is 44 years old, hails from the town of Sheikhan in Jbeil District. She has a sister named Maya, who is a teacher in Paris, and a brother named Kamal, who holds a PhD in music. She lives with her family in France, where her parents reside in Lyon."
Abdul Malak has not stopped visiting her homeland, having traveled there, her uncle said, "twice with President Macron after the August 4 explosion," emphasizing that "her parents instilled in her a love for her country after having to emigrate due to the liberation war that Lebanon experienced, which led to the bombing of their home in the Al-Jamhour area at that time." He added that after the house was bombed, his brother made the decision to leave Lebanon with his children and wife to continue their lives abroad. Being a biochemistry doctor who used to come to Lyon every year for research, they moved there when Rima was ten years old.
According to her uncle, what distinguishes Abdul Malak is her "calmness and her deliberative thinking before speaking, as well as her passion for culture. She never tires of working long hours in this field, which is why her selection for this position did not come from nowhere but rather from her extensive experience and high competence."
Abdul Malak expressed regret over young people in Lebanon having to emigrate instead of "benefiting their country with their expertise," wishing for "this trend to stop as it leads to the depletion of Lebanese society, which cannot be easily compensated."
On Friday, the Élysée announced the composition of the French government after Prime Minister Élisabeth Borne completed her selection of the ministerial team, just four days after French President Emmanuel Macron chose Borne to head his government following his re-election for a second term on April 24, 2022. The formation of the government comes about three weeks before the first round of legislative elections on June 12 and 19, with the first Council of Ministers scheduled for next Monday.
