François Bayrou’s government was unveiled this Monday, December 23, late in the afternoon. Former Prime Minister, Élisabeth Borne, becomes Minister of State in charge of National Education. Manuel Valls returns to the government, where he will be Minister of State in charge of Overseas Territories. Gérald Darmanin is appointed Minister of State in charge of Justice. Jean-Noël Barrot remains Minister of Foreign Affairs. Sébastien Lecornu is confirmed at the Ministry of the Armed Forces, and Bruno Retailleau, at the Interior. Éric Lombard becomes Minister of the Economy. The first Council of Ministers of the Bayrou government will be held on January 3.
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François Bayrou’s government was unveiled this Monday, December 23, shortly before 7 p.m. The secretary general of the Élysée, Alexis Kohler, announced the composition of the government team.
This government, the fourth since the start of the year, is the epilogue of ten days of negotiations between the Prime Minister, François Bayrou, and Emmanuel Macron. Negotiations were blocked over the allocation of the Economy, Justice and Foreign Affairs portfolios. On this eve of the Christmas holidays, the France is observed during a day of national mourning for Mayotteravaged by Cyclone Chido.
Élisabeth Borne and Manuel Valls enter government
Two former Prime Ministers, Elisabeth Borne And Manuel Vallswere appointed Ministers of State, respectively in charge of National Education and Overseas Territories. Élisabeth Borne, who left Matignon in January, will have National Education, Higher Education and Research in her portfolio. Manuel Valls, absent from any government function since his departure from Matignon in December 2016, inherits a very large portfolio where he will notably have to manage the situation in Mayotte and New Caledonia.
Three months after leaving the Interior, Gerald Darmanin returns to the government, also with the rank of Minister of State, in charge of Justice, a position initially proposed by Mr. Bayrou to Xavier Bertrand.
Bruno Retailleau reappointed to the Interior, Jean-Noël Barrot to Foreign Affairs
The Republican (LR) Bruno Retailleau was reappointed to the Ministry of the Interior. The centrist (MoDem) Jean-Noël Barrot is confirmed in Foreign Affairs and the Macronist (Renaissance) Sébastien Lecornu in the Armed Forces. Catherine Vautrin also remains in the government, but she moves from the Ministry of Territories to the portfolio of Health, Solidarity and Families. At 64, this close friend of Nicolas Sarkozy returns to a position almost similar to the one she held from January to September under the Attal government before taking the Territories portfolio in September under the Barnier government. Former LR Rachida Dati remains Minister of Culture.
The director of the Caisse des Dépôts et Consignations, Éric Lombard, will join the Ministry of the Economy, Finance and Industrial and Digital Sovereignty. He will be supported by the Macronist Amélie de Montchalin in charge of Public Accounts, at a time when France is facing one of the worst budgetary crises in its recent history. Among the other economic portfolios, Laurent Marcangeli (Horizons) will be in charge of the Civil Service. Annie Genevard (LR) retains Agriculture.
François Bayrou said, on the social network X (formerly Twitter), “ very proud » of his government, “ a collective of experience to reconcile and renew trust with all French people “.
Olivier Faure, the boss of the Socialist Party (PS), reacted on the social network X, just after the government’s announcement. For him, “ it is not a government, it is a provocation. The far right in power under the surveillance of the far right “. Same story with the ecologist, Marine Tondelier, who denounces “ the indignity » by François Bayrou, who “ puts itself back in the hands of the extreme right “.
For his part, Jordan Bardella accuses the Prime Minister of having “ united the coalition of failure “. “ Fortunately, ridicule doesn’t kill. Alas, nothing will have been spared for the French: François Bayrou has brought together the coalition of failure », reacted on X, Jordan Bardella, promising that in 2025 “ more than ever, the RN will be there to defend and protect our compatriots, while waiting for the change “.
Xavier Bertrand is not in the government “formed with the approval of Marine Le Pen”
Just before the announcement, Xavier Bertrand, the president of Les Républicains de la Hauts-de-France region, whose name was circulating for the Ministry of Justice, announced that he would not be in the government, “ formed with the approval of Marine Le Pen “. “ The Prime Minister informed me this morning, contrary to what he had proposed to me yesterday, that he was no longer able to entrust me with responsibility for the Ministry of Justice due to the opposition of the National Rally . Despite his new proposals, I refuse to participate in a government of France formed with the approval of Marine Le Pen », Writes Xavier Bertrand in a press release.
From appointments of Prime Ministers to reshuffles, the French political class has become accustomed to having to wait as the executive’s timetables are adjusted. François Bayrou73, fourth Prime Minister in 2024, is putting together a government of heavyweights, able to avoid censorship, he hopes, with personalities from the right, the center and the left.
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