While Amélie Oudéa-Castéra should already leave the Ministry of National Education, Nicole Belloubet is expected to replace her.
The second part of the reshuffle drags on. While the names of the new members of the government should be announced this Thursday, several hypotheses seem to be confirmed. The case of the Ministry of National Education raises many questions. Amélie Oudéa-Castéra has had a string of controversies since her arrival as Minister of Education and Sports on January 11. She notably made controversial remarks towards public schools.
The minister could then not keep her position in National Education. If the name of François Bayrou had been mentioned to take over, the president of Modem decided not to join the government, as he announced on Franceinfo.
According to AFP, which cites three sources within the majority, Nicole Belloubet would ultimately be approached for National Education. The former Minister of Justice could therefore return to government after a few years. She was in fact appointed Minister of Justice in 2017 following the premature departure of François Bayrou, targeted by a legal case, in which he has just been acquitted this week.
From president of the lawyers’ club to minister?
Formerly rector of the academies of Limoges and Toulouse, Nicole Belloubet had resigned in 2005 after François Fillon’s decision to eliminate teaching positions. She is now president of the lawyers’ club, a legal think tank for the improvement of French law.
The choice of Nicole Belloubet, who began her career at the PS, could also make it possible to rebalance the government, which is very marked on the right, notably with the presence of Rachida Dati at the Ministry of Culture.
So will Nicole Belloubet make her return to government? The response should normally come during the day with the list of the fourteen other new members of the government, almost a month after the appointment of Gabriel Attal as Prime Minister.