Paris, Sep 22 (IANS) French Prime Minister Michel Barnier announced the formation of his government with 39 members coming from the centre and right-wing parties.
Among the 17 ministers, seven come from President Emmanuel Macron’s centrist alliance and three from Barnier’s conservative party The Republicans (Les Republicains), Xinhua news agency reported.
Jean-Noel Barrot was nominated to replace Stephane Sejourne as Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs.
The 41-year-old Barrot was an economist and served as Minister Delegate for Europe in the former government.
Bruno Retailleau was appointed to be the Minister of Interior, which the French daily Le Figaro considered as a “symbol of firmness” to restore public order in France.
Retailleau, a member of the Barnier’s party, promised, on his social media platform X account, to “restore order to ensure harmony” and reaffirmed his support for the police.
The position of Minister of Economy and Finance was given to Antoine Armand who is only 33 years old.
He now has to help Barnier submit France’s 2025 budget draft bill to the National Assembly while trying to keep France’s debt under control as mandated by the European Union.
However, the list of members of the new government lacks candidates from the left-wing and far-ring wing parties, two relative winners of the snap legislative elections.
Barnier’s government immediately received criticism from left-wing parties. The leader of the Socialist Party Olivier Faure denounced Barnier’s decision to form a centre-right government, saying that his decision “gives the finger” to democracy.
Leader of the far-left-wing party, La France Insoumise, the main party of the left-wing parties alliance during the latest legislative elections, Jean-Luc Melanchon, said that the government was formed with “losers of the legislative elections.”
The government “has neither legitimacy nor a future. It will be necessary to get rid of it as soon as possible,” he said on his X account.
The left-wing parties already vowed to launch a vote of no confidence against the government in the National Assembly where they do not hold an absolute majority. They need to count on the far-right wing party, the National Rally’s support.
As for the far-ring wing party, the National Rally (RN), its former leader Marine Le Pen expressed her disappointment over the new government.
On her X account, she said that Barnier’s government was “transitional” and called for a “major change.”
For her, the government announced on Saturday evening was rather a reshuffled former government than a newly formed one.
Macron nominated on September 5 Barnier, a former Brexit negotiator, as the new prime minister.
Barnier has announced that he intended to address “the challenges, the anger, the suffering, and the sense of abandonment and injustice” that the country is currently experiencing.
After forming a government, Barnier’s urgent mission now remains to complete a draft budget for 2025 before October 1 and submit it for voting in the National Assembly.
–IANS
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