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.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Tehran has “no trust” in the United States and will only consider negotiations if Was...
Georgia is positioning itself as a future energy bridge between the Caspian and Europe, backed by major infrastruc...
Uzbekistan’s Department for Combating Economic Crimes says it has uncovered a ...
Russia and Ukraine exchanged prisoners of war as well as...
Iran’s Parliamentary Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf warned that the U.S. military blockade of Iran’s southern ports could trigger a n...
Georgia is positioning itself as a future energy bridge between the Caspian and Europe, backed by major infrastructure plans and growing EU support. But behind the ambitious pitch lies a far more complicated political reality.
Uzbekistan’s Department for Combating Economic Crimes says it has uncovered a large-scale fraud and corruption scheme linked to labour migration to South Korea, with estimated damages reaching $90 million.
Russia and Ukraine exchanged prisoners of war as well as the bodies of fallen soldiers, on Friday (15 May). The swap came as Ukranian officials said Moscow had carried out its largest aerial attack over 48 hours since the conflict started.
Iran’s Parliamentary Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf warned that the U.S. military blockade of Iran’s southern ports could trigger a new global financial crisis as the Tehran-Washington standoff around the strategic Strait of Hormuz persists.
The U.S.-Israeli war with Iran loomed over U.S. President Donald Trump's visit to China, as signs emerged that the conflict is causing a shift in alliances across the Middle East.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Tehran has “no trust” in the United States and will only consider negotiations if Washington shows seriousness. His remarks came as talks on Iran’s nuclear programme continued, with Trump and Xi also opposing Iran acquiring nuclear weapons.
Thousands of fans turned out in Iran's capital Tehran for a massive farewell ceremony on Wednesday night for their national football team, wishing them success before their departure for the World Cup 2026 matches co-hosted by the United States and Mexico.
Ukraine has stepped up attacks on Russian energy facilities in recent months, amid stalled progress in peace negotiations. The strikes have targeted refineries, processing plants, pipelines and export infrastructure, causing repeated disruptions across Russia’s energy sector.
Negotiations between Samsung Electronics and its workforce on Wednesday have broken down, officials said, raising fresh concerns over potential disruption to South Korea’s export-heavy economy.
China has launched the world’s first experiment to study how artificial human embryos develop in space, marking a major step in understanding whether humans could one day reproduce beyond Earth.
Every day, an elderly woman in China’s Shandong province looks forward to a video call from her son. He asks about her health, tells her he has been busy with work, and promises he will come home once he has saved enough money. She tells him she misses him. He tells her to take care of herself.
Deep in the ancient forests of southern China, researchers have discovered a small, shy snake with an extraordinary survival trick: when threatened, it creates the illusion that it has two heads.
Egyptian authorities have unveiled two restored ancient tombs in Luxor alongside a rare artefact linked to King Tutankhamun, offering visitors new insight into life and burial practices during the New Kingdom more than 3,000 years ago.
A U.S. Department of Justice official said Washington was preparing to indict former Cuban president Raúl Castro in connection with the 1996 downing of aircraft operated by "Brothers to the Rescue", a Miami-based exile group that conducted search-and-rescue flights for Cuban migrants.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment