The government of Gabriel Attal, made up of around fifteen ministers, is officially named. Several ministers are kept in post, others obtain expanded portfolios and the appointment of Rachida Dati to Culture creates a surprise.
The essential
- The reshuffle is official. Gabriel Attal, appointed Prime Minister, has formed a tight government which must be partly unveiled this Thursday, January 11.
- Around fifteen ministers have been appointed, while the secretaries of state will be appointed later, probably next week.
- All government positions go to men, mostly from the right: Eric Dupond-Moretti (Justice), Gérald Darmanin (Interior), Bruno Le Maire (Economy) and Sébastien Lecornu (Armies), Stéphane Séjournée (Foreign Affairs) . The composition of the new government in detail.
- Rachida Dati was appointed Minister of Culture, this is the big surprise of the reshuffle. The mayor of the 7th arrondissement of Paris was excluded from the Republican party after the formalization of her entry into government.
- Amélie Oudéa-Castera remains Minister of Sports and also takes over the Ministry of National Education and Youth. In the area of education, the minister could have little room for maneuver under the direct leadership ofEmmanuel Macron and Gabriel Attal.
Live
8:11 p.m. – Gabriel Attal expected at TF1’s 20 Hours
The Prime Minister must speak on the set of 20 Hours on TF1 any minute after the announcement of the members of his government, a few minutes ago now.
20:03 – Rachida Dati, new Minister of Culture, excluded from the Republicans, announces Éric Ciotti
Rachida Dati has chosen to join the Government.
She places herself outside our political family.
She is no longer part of the Republicans.
We are in the opposition, so we draw the consequences of his choice with regret.
— Eric Ciotti (@ECiotti) January 11, 2024
19:58 – The rest of the nominations will be made later
After announcing the ministers and delegated ministers, as expected, Alexis Kohler clarified that the rest of the appointments would be made in a second step. First Council of Ministers for this new government expected this Friday, at 11 a.m.
19:53 – And the ministers of the Gabriel Attal government are:
The Secretary General of the Élysée, Alexis Kholer, has just announced the new members of government :
- Prime Minister: Gabriel Attal
- Minister of the Economy, Finance and Industrial and Digital Sovereignty: Bruno Le Maire
- Minister of the Interior and Overseas Territories: Gérald Darmanin
- Minister of Labor, Health and Solidarity: Catherine Vautrin
- Minister of National Education, Youth, Sports and the Olympic Games: Amélie Oudéa-Castéra
- Minister of Culture: Rachida Dati
- Minister of the Armed Forces: Sébastien Lecornu
- Keeper of the Seals, Minister of Justice: Éric Dupond-Moretti
- Minister of Europe and Foreign Affairs: Stéphane Séjourné
- Minister of Ecological Transition and Territorial Cohesion: Christophe Béchu
- Minister of Agriculture and Food Sovereignty: Marc Fesneau
- Minister of Higher Education and Research: Sylvie Retailleau
- Minister responsible for Democratic Renewal, government spokesperson: Prisca Thevenot
- Minister Delegate in charge of Relations with Parliament: Marie Lebec
- Minister Delegate in charge of Equality between Women and Men and the Fight against Discrimination: Aurore Bergé
19:37 – Stéphane Séjourné appointed to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
As Le Parisien relays, the secretary general of Renaissance, Stéphane Séjourné should be appointed to the Quay d’Orsay this Thursday evening, to replace Catherine Colonna who would leave her post. With this new name, all the holders of sovereign positions would now be known. Remember that the Élysée must make announcements very soon. The meeting was initially set for 7:30 p.m.
6:58 p.m. – The government’s announcement expected around 7:30 p.m.
Expected at the end of the day, the government announcement by the Secretary General of the Elysée should come around 7:30 p.m. according to information from BFMTV.
18:56 – The Minister of Housing will not be named this evening
The names of several ministers have already been confirmed before the official government announcement, but that of the Ministry of Housing will not be known this evening, the political service of franceinfo. With the list of full-time ministers expected this evening, this portfolio could be entrusted to a Secretary of State at a later stage.
18:30 – Amélie Oudéa-Catsera stays in Sports and recovers Education
Amélie Oudéa-Castera remains the Minister of Sports in the new government and will continue to manage the Olympic Games, but she also takes over the Ministry of National Education and Youth confirm BFMTV And RTL. These are two key areas that fall to the minister, but in the national education sector the minister’s room for maneuver should be low since Gabriel Attal declared “taken with [lui] in Matignon the cause of school” and that Emmanuel Macron has made education is one of his “reserved areas”.
18:14 – Rachida Dati appointed to Culture
The appointment of Rachida Dati to the Ministry of Culture is confirmed by information from BFMTV and D’Europe 1. The arrival of the LR mayor of the 7th arrondissement of Paris and former Minister of Justice of Nicolas Sarkozy to the government of Gabriel Attal is no longer in much doubt. This is the big surprise of this reshuffle.
17:54 – The ministries of Education and Sports united and entrusted to Amélie Oudéa-Castera?
It’s a possibility that appears to be gaining strength as the shakeup approaches. The current Minister of Sports, Amélie Oudéa-Castera could remain in government but be placed at the head of a very expanded ministry including Sport but also National Education and Youth.
17:49 – An emergency meeting of mayors and LR elected officials of Paris around Rachida Dati
While she would be in the running to settle at the Ministry of Culture according to information from BFMTV, Rachida Dati summoned the mayors and elected officials of Les Républicains de Paris for a videoconference meeting according to the continuous news channel and the political editorialist of franceinfo Gilles Bornstein.
17:22 – Heavyweights and men kept with big wallets
After Gérald Darmanin remained at the Ministry of the Interior, several other names of men see their future assured in government: Bruno Le Maire at Economy, Eric Dupond-Moretti at Justice, Sébastien Lecornu at Defense. With four men already placed in key positions, women’s names are expected to take over in important ministries such as National Education, Health or Foreign Affairs.
17:15 – Sébastien Lecornu is confirmed in his government position
The Minister of the Armed Forces is in turn guaranteed to remain in his post, according to information from BFMTV. Another regal position which remains in the hands of the same man in this reshuffle, after Gérald Darmanin, Bruno Le Maire and Eric Dupond-Moretti.
17:11 – Who is Prisca Thevenot, the new government spokesperson?
First name revealed in this reshuffle, that of Prisca Thevenot. The Secretary of State for Youth and Universal National Service takes over the position of Olivier Véran, whose future within the government remains uncertain. A Macronist activist from the start, Prisca Thevenot joined the Borne government last July. She has been the spokesperson for Renaissance since 2020.
16:48 – Rachida Dati, a surprise for the Ministry of Culture?
The LR mayor of the 7th arrondissement of Paris is cited by BFMTV as being a client for the Ministry of Culture. The departure of the current Minister of Culture, Rima Abdul Malak, is not confirmed. Other names have been cited to replace her, including those of Claire Chazal and Stéphane Bern.
Learn more
Gabriel Attal moves to Matignon
After a week of rumors about the departure of the Prime Minister, Elisabeth Borne submitted her resignation to Emmanuel Macron at the end of the day on Monday January 8. A departure which does not seem to be wanted by the sixty-year-old but rather driven by the President of the Republic as his resignation letter suggests: “Mr. President of the Republic, you have informed me of your desire to appoint a new Prime Minister”.
Elisabeth Borne having left office, it was the former Minister of National Education who was appointed head of government, Gabriel Attal. At just 34 years old, he became the youngest Prime Minister of the Fifth Republic. He got the best of Sébastien Lecornu, Richard Ferrand, and Julien Denormandie, all three mentioned to succeed Élisabeth Borne in the role.
Who are the ministers in the hot seat?
On the side of the ministers in danger are those nicknamed the “rebels” for their opposition to the immigration law: Clément Beaune (Transport), Rima Abdul-Malak (Culture), Patrice Vergriete (Housing), Sylvie Retailleau (Higher Education) and Roland Lescure (Industry). We must also cite the Minister of Health Agnès Firmin Le Bodo, appointed interim after the resignation of Aurélien Rousseau, who is the subject of an investigation for having received gifts from a pharmaceutical laboratory without declaring them as part of her profession as a pharmacist. Catherine Colonna based at the Quai d’Orsay would also be in the hot seat according to The Parisian.
The case of the Minister of Labor, Olivier Dussopt, raises questions. The man is due to stand trial in his favoritism trial on January 17. The head of state could want to part ways without waiting for the verdict or, on the contrary, keep the minister, who benefits from the presumption of innocence, within the government, at the risk of having to replace him at the end of January.
Which ministers could change portfolio?
Some ministers could remain within the executive, but land in different functions. At the Ministry of the Interior, someone other than Gérald Darmanin could take over according to some rumors. The “first cop in France”, weakened after the vote on the immigration law, would like to leave Beauvau for the Quai d’Orsay. But a replacement at the Interior seems difficult a few months before the Paris Olympic Games. If he remains in the government Olivier Dussopt could also move, he who would be interested in the Ministry of the Armed Forces according to The Parisian.