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France's Macron appoints new government in shift to right

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Agence France-Presse

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:950px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/17269651350701720494201962Le-Monument-a-la-Republique.jpg" style="width:950px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Fireworks go off as people gather in front of &quot;Le Monument a la Republique&quot; statue during an election night rally following the first results of the second round of France&#x27;s legislative election at Republique Square in Paris on July 7, 2024. A broad left-wing coalition was leading a tight French legislative election. <em>Photo by Olympia De Maismont/AFP</em></span></span></span></div><p>PARIS — France finally got a new government Saturday in a shift to the right, as left-wing protesters took to the streets to denounce what they say is a denial of July&#x27;s election results.</p><div><br/></div><p>The cabinet announced by French President Emmanuel Macron and led by Prime Minister Michel Barnier comes 11 weeks after an inconclusive parliamentary election.</p><div><br/></div><p>Barnier&#x27;s first major task will be to submit a 2025 budget plan addressing France&#x27;s financial situation, which the prime minister this week called &quot;very serious&quot;.</p><div><br/></div><p>Conservative Barnier is best known internationally for leading the European Union&#x27;s Brexit negotiations with the UK.</p><div><br/></div><p>More recently, he has had the difficult job of submitting a cabinet for Macron&#x27;s approval that has the best chance of surviving a no-confidence motion in parliament.</p><div><br/></div><div><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/world/2024/7/9/surprise-leftist-victory-who-is-france-s-new-popular-front-1050">Surprise leftist victory: Who is France&#x27;s New Popular Front?</a></div><div><br/></div><p>Talks on the distribution of the 39 cabinet posts continued right up to Saturday&#x27;s official announcement, insiders said, with moments of high tension between the president and his prime minister.</p><div><br/></div><p>Opposition politicians from the left have already announced they will challenge his government with a confidence motion.</p><div><br/></div><p>In the July election, a left-wing bloc called the New Popular Front (NFP) won the most parliamentary seats of any political bloc, but not enough for an overall majority.</p><div><br/></div><p>Macron argued that the left would be unable to muster enough support to form a government that would not immediately be brought down in parliament.</p><div><br/></div><p>He turned instead to Barnier to lead a government drawing mostly on parliamentary support from Macron&#x27;s allies, as well as from the conservative Republicans (LR) and the centrists groups.</p><div><br/></div><div style="caret-color:rgb(0, 0, 0);color:rgb(0, 0, 0)"><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/world/2024/7/8/-a-lot-of-hope-french-left-rejoices-at-unexpected-election-win-1029" style="color:rgb(199, 29, 29)">&#x27;A lot of hope&#x27;: French left rejoices at unexpected election win<br/></a></div><div><br/></div><div><strong>&#x27;No future&#x27;</strong></div><div><br/></div><p>Macron was counting too, on a neutral stance from the far right — but the leader of the National Rally (RN) Jordan Bardella was quick to condemn the composition of the new government.</p><div><br/></div><p>It marked &quot;a return to Macronism&quot; and so had &quot;no future whatsoever&quot;, he said Saturday.</p><div><br/></div><p>At the other end of the political spectrum, far-left firebrand Jean-Luc Melenchon called the new lineup &quot;a government of the general election losers&quot;.</p><div><br/></div><p>France, he said, should &quot;get rid&quot; of the government &quot;as soon as possible&quot;. His party threatened to &quot;increase popular pressure&quot; on the government.</p><div><br/></div><p>Socialist party chairman Oliver Faure dismissed Barnier&#x27;s cabinet as &quot;a reactionary government that gives democracy the finger&quot;.</p><div><br/></div><p>&quot;An unnatural government against nature,&quot; was the verdict of Marine Tondelier, leader of The Ecologists party.</p><div><br/></div><p>Among the new faces in key cabinet posts are Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot.</p><div><br/></div><p>Conservative Bruno Retailleau takes over at the interior ministry. His portfolio covers immigration and his right-wing credentials have created unease even in Macron&#x27;s own camp.</p><div><br/></div><p>Defense Minister Sebastien Lecornu, a close Macron ally, has kept his job.</p><div><br/></div><p>The difficult job of submitting a budget plan to parliament next month falls to 33-year-old Antoine Armand, the new finance minister. He has previously served as head of parliament&#x27;s economic affairs commission.</p><div><br/></div><p>But Greenpeace condemned the appointments of Republican Annie Genevard and Macronist Agnes Pannier-Runacher to the agriculture and climate briefs respectively.</p><div><br/></div><p>&quot;We need radical and ambitious action to tackle the climate and social crises, but this government already seems stuck in the outdated logic of the old world,&quot; said its executive director for France Jean-Francois Julliard.</p><div><br/></div><p>The only left-of-center politician is little-known former Socialist Didier Migaud, named justice minister.</p><div><br/></div><p style="margin-bottom:0px;line-height:normal">France to submit draft military interoperability deal with PH by end of September: envoy</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>Street protests</strong></div><div><br/></div><p>Even before the announcement, thousands of people took to the streets of Paris and other French cities Saturday to protest.</p><div><br/></div><p>They were objecting to a cabinet they say does not reflect the outcome of the parliamentary election. The new government has nobody from inside the NFP bloc.</p><div><br/></div><p>&quot;I am here because this outcome does not correspond to how people voted,&quot; said Violette Bourguignon, 21, demonstrating in Paris.</p><div><br/></div><p>&quot;I am worried and I&#x27;m angry. What is the point of having an election at all?&quot; she said.</p><div><br/></div><p>Barnier is to address parliament with a key policy speech on October 1.</p><div><br/></div><p>He then has the urgent task of submitting a budget plan to the National Assembly aimed at controlling France&#x27;s rising budget deficit and debt mountain —  the first major test of his administration.</p><div><br/></div><p>France was placed on a formal procedure for violating European Union budgetary rules before Barnier was picked as head of government.</p><div><br/></div><p>France&#x27;s public-sector deficit is projected to reach around 5.6 percent of GDP this year and go over six percent in 2025. EU rules set a three-percent ceiling on deficits.</p><div><br/></div><p>&quot;I am discovering that the country&#x27;s budgetary situation is very serious,&quot; Barnier said in a statement to AFP Wednesday, adding that the situation required &quot;more than just pretty statements&quot;.</p><div><br/></div><p>The new cabinet&#x27;s first meeting is scheduled for Monday afternoon.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>© Agence France-Presse</strong></div><div><br/></div><div><strong>RELATED VIDEO</strong></div><div><br/></div><div><strong><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/X5M2KzJWEUY?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span></strong><br/></div>

<p>France finally got a new government Saturday in a shift to the right, as left-wing protesters took to the streets to denounce what they say is a denial of July's election results.</p>

France finally got a new government Saturday in a shift to the right, as left-wing protesters took to the streets to denounce what they say is a denial of July's election results.