A month and a half after the appointment of Elisabeth Borne at Matignon, Emmanuel Macron has reshuffled his government. The Head of State found himself forced to change his team after the setback of the legislative elections. New entrants, returns and a great game of musical chairs.
The Élysée announced the new government in a statement this Monday morning. It has 41 personalities. Among the newcomers, the emergency doctor François Braun, president of the Samu, replaces Brigitte Bourguignon, defeated in the legislative, to health. Caroline Cayeux, various right-wing mayor of Beauvais, will take care of the Ministry of Territorial Cohesion. Olivier Klein, left-wing mayor of Clichy-sous-Bois, becomes Minister of Housing. Laurence Boone, economist at the OECD, becomes Minister for European Affairs. The elected representative of New Caledonia Sonia Backès will be in charge of Citizenship. Hervé Berville, MP for Côtes-d’Armor, is appointed Secretary of State for the Sea, replacing Justine Benin after her failure in the legislative elections. Roland Lescure, deputy for French nationals living abroad, becomes minister delegate in charge of industry. Jean-Noël Barrot, MP for Yvelines, becomes Minister Delegate for Digital Affairs
Christophe Béchu replaces Amélie de Montchalin at Ecological Transition
Ghosts, there are a lot of them. The Modems Geneviève Darrieussecq and Sarah El Haïry are back: the first will be in charge of Autonomy, the second finds the Secretary of State for Youth. Marlène Schiappa returns to the government, in charge of the Social and Solidarity Economy and Associative Life. The former Minister for Citizenship had just published a book entitled Is that a good situation, Minister?
For musical chairs, Olivier Véran becomes government spokesperson in place of Olivia Grégoire, who finds Bercy for the ministry in charge of Crafts, Trade, Tourism and SMEs. Franck Riester, until then Minister Delegate for Foreign Trade and Attractiveness, will be in charge of Relations with Parliament. Clément Beaune, until then Minister Delegate in charge of Europe, takes over Transport. And the former Minister of Territorial Communities, Christophe Béchu, is rising in rank: he will be appointed to the Ecological Transition to replace Amélie de Montchalin, beaten in the legislative elections.
Damien Abad leaves the government
Also to remember: Gérald Darmanin, Minister of the Interior, recovers an expanded ministry including the Overseas portfolio to replace Yaël Braun-Pivet, elected since President of the National Assembly. And the prefect Jean-François Carenco is appointed Minister Delegate for Overseas.
Damien Abad, targeted by a preliminary investigation for attempted rape, leaves the government. It is Jean-Christophe Combe, the director general of the French Red Cross who replaces him at the Ministry of Solidarity. In contrast, Chrysoula ZacharopoulouSecretary of State to the Minister of Foreign Affairs in charge of Development, Francophonie and International Partnerships, remains in government despite accusations of rape allegedly perpetrated during the exercise of her profession as a gynecologist.
Transfers of power will follow. The “Borne 2” government is convened at 4 p.m. at the Elysée for the Council of Ministers. After this reshuffle, the general policy speech that Elisabeth Borne will deliver on Wednesday should make it possible to close what seemed like a long period of uncertainty for the executive, since the re-election of Emmanuel Macron on April 24, nearly two and a half months. It is unclear whether she will seek the confidence of MPs with a vote.