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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The family of the late Virginia Giuffre have urged King Charles III to meet survivors of sexual abuse during his upcoming state visit to the United States.
India has purchased crude oil from Iran for the first time in seven years, as supply disruptions in the Middle East threaten global energy markets.
British police have arrested a fourth person in connection with an arson attack on ambulances belonging to a Jewish community charity. The arrest took place at a London court on Saturday, where three other suspects were already appearing.
Senegal has taken steps to curb government spending by banning non-essential foreign travel for ministers, as rising global oil prices place increasing pressure on the country’s finances.
One U.S. crew member has been rescued after two American warplanes were downed over Iran and the Gulf, as the search continues for a missing pilot, while President Donald Trump has given Tehran 48 hours to agree to a deal to end the war.
The U.N. Security Council is expected to vote next week on a Bahraini resolution to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and protect commercial shipping, diplomats said on Friday, amid opposition from China to any authorisation of force.
One crew member from a U.S. warplane shot down over Iran has been rescued, U.S. officials said, as a search continues for a second crew member.
Residents in Pakistan say they are feeling "crushed" and have to put filling up the tank before putting food on the table. Diesel is set to rise by 55% and petrol 43% as the government hike prices for the second time in a month.
The global commodities market is facing a severe structural supply shock after a series of coordinated military strikes in the Middle East devastated critical industrial infrastructure, threatening the manufacturing base of Western economies.
The family of the late Virginia Giuffre have urged King Charles III to meet survivors of sexual abuse during his upcoming state visit to the United States.
British police have arrested a fourth person in connection with an arson attack on ambulances belonging to a Jewish community charity. The arrest took place at a London court on Saturday, where three other suspects were already appearing.
Senegal has taken steps to curb government spending by banning non-essential foreign travel for ministers, as rising global oil prices place increasing pressure on the country’s finances.
Five people have been killed and 19 others injured in a Russian drone strike on a market in the front-line Ukrainian city of Nikopol, Ukrainian officials say.
A major gathering of Muslims in northern Paris will go ahead as planned after a French court overturned a government attempt to ban the event.
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