French presidency unveils new cabinet as budget pressure intensifies

The French presidency announced Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu's new cabinet line-up on 12 October, with most top jobs remaining unchanged at a time when opponents are demanding a political shift to win their support for urgent budget talks.

Lecornu, who was reappointed prime minister last week after a previous stint that lasted just 27 days, had pledged to deliver a cabinet of "renewal and diversity," but stuck with his previous picks for most of the choice jobs.

It remains to be seen if Lecornu's new cabinet will satisfy opponents. The hard-left France Unbowed (LFI) has said it will file a motion of no confidence on Monday, as did the far-right National Rally, meaning the new government will face a nail-biting vote before the end of the week.

Meanwhile the Socialists, whose support the government would almost certainly need to survive such a vote are keeping their options open.

"No comment," Socialist party leader Olivier Faure wrote on X after the government's announcement.

Lecornu, whose last cabinet lasted just 14 hours, reappointed Roland Lescure, a close ally of President Emmanuel Macron, as finance minister.

The government must formally present a budget in the coming days that faces a perilous path through a deeply divided parliament, where many have now set their sights on the contest to succeed Macron in 2027.

Lecornu also kept Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot and Justice Minister Gerald Darmanin in their posts.

"A single imperative guides my decisions: to serve my country and the French people," Darmanin posted on X. "Without renouncing any of my convictions, I am therefore taking leave from all partisan activity."

The most notable change to the ministerial picks was incoming Interior Minister Laurent Nunez, head of the Paris police, who replaces Bruno Retailleau, leader of the conservative Republicans Party and who harbours his own presidential ambitions.

Nunez is a graduate of the elite École Nationale d'Administration, and has held key positions across the French security apparatus, including head of the domestic intelligence agency DGSI. Last year, he kept Paris safe during the Olympics.

Former Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne lost her job as education minister, replaced by civil servant Edouard Geffray.

Catherine Vautrin, a veteran of the centre-right, replaced Lecornu as defense minister. She was previously labour minister in former Prime Minister Francois Bayrou's government, and also served as a minister under former President Jacques Chirac.

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