The new government of France may be officially announced by the end of this week, after which the ministers will take their cases and start their duties, sources in the Prime Minister’s office said.
Earlier, French media released the names of several candidates who were included in the list presented by Prime Minister Michel Barnier to French President Emmanuel Macron on the evening of September 19. In particular, the new head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs may be appointed the current Minister-Delegate for European Affairs Jean-Noel Barrot, and the Interior Ministry of the country will be headed by the head of the Senate faction of the party “Republicans” Bruno Retailleau, Sébastien Lecornu should retain the post of Minister of the Armed Forces.
However, the fate of other key positions in the Ministry of Economy and the Ministry of Justice remains unknown, there is no information about the future ministers of culture and education. In total, the future cabinet should have 38 people, 16 of whom will have ministerial portfolios.
Barnier was appointed Prime Minister on September 5 and has been forming a new government for a fortnight since then. This comes amid a difficult political situation in the country after the snap elections to the French National Assembly, where neither the former ruling majority nor the opposition right and left forces failed to get an absolute majority.
However, not everyone is in favour of Barnier’s candidacy. Nicolas Dupont-Aignan, leader of the party Debout la France (France Arise), wrote on X:
“Barnier’s resignation would be the most honourable solution. Macron does not recognise his defeat and refuses the idea of coexistence, wanting to impose continuity on his policies, something the French do not want. A resignation would mean repudiating Macron and removing him from office, which is the only way to give the French what they want: change.”
