Budapest Post

Cum Deo pro Patria et Libertate
Budapest, Europe and world news

French president reshuffles Cabinet after election losses

French president reshuffles Cabinet after election losses

French President Emmanuel Macron rearranged his Cabinet on Monday after losing his parliamentary majority, and called on his new government to “stand strong” amid Russia’s war in Ukraine and “transform” the heavily indebted French economy.

The new government includes familiar faces from Macron’s centrist alliance and the center-right, but none from the far-left and far-right parties that are now the main opposition forces in France’s National Assembly.

At a Cabinet meeting after the announcement, Macron urged ministers to “stand strong in the context of a war that has a profound impact on many things. I think it wasn’t sufficiently taken into account in France’s public debate.”

His government plans to present a bill addressing growing public concerns about soaring cost of living, but his opponents say Macron is out of touch with the day-to-day pain of inflation.

After France spent heavily to help the economy weather pandemic shutdowns and soften the blow of high energy prices worsened by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Macron warned Monday that “progress can rarely be financed with unsupported debt or at least unsustainable debt.”

He said the government would focus on environmental challenges and “great demographic transitions” and work with local officials, companies and citizens to “transform profoundly our collective action.”

One of Macron’s most controversial plans is to raise the retirement age from 62 to 64 or 65. His government argues it’s needed to avoid bankrupting the state in a country with one of the world’s highest life expectancies. Macron’s chief political rivals oppose the plan as threatening France’s social model.

The government reshuffle comes six weeks after Macron appointed Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne to lead a new government coalition at the outset of the president’s second term. Macron — and French presidents before him — had set a rule before the parliamentary vote: Only ministers who retain their seats will remain in government posts.

Three out of Macron’s 15 ministers failed to be reelected and were replaced Monday.

Christophe Bechu is the new environment minister, an important job as the EU pushes for more aggressive emissions cuts, and came under quick criticism from activists who questioned his credentials. Francois Braun is now in charge of the health ministry, a high-profile post as COVID-19 cases spike anew.

In addition, Damien Abad, the minister of policies for the disabled who is under investigation for rape and sexual misconduct, has been replaced by Jean-Christophe Combe, former director general of the French Red Cross.

Allegations of sexual misconduct against Abad emerged just days after Borne, only the second woman in French history to have been appointed prime minister, announced her new government. Abad firmly denies the allegations.

The allegations were particularly embarrassing for the new prime minister and the president, who both claim to be champions of women’s rights and have pledged “zero tolerance” for sexual misconduct.

Two other ministers who have been accused of rape kept their jobs.

Macron’s Together! alliance won the most seats in the National Assembly in the election last month, but fell 44 seats short of a majority in France’s most powerful house of parliament as voters opted for the leftist Nupes coalition and the far-right National Rally of Marine Le Pen.

With the most seats at the National Assembly, his government still has the ability to rule, but only by bargaining with legislators. To prevent the deadlock, Macron’s Renaissance party and allies may try to negotiate on a case-by-case basis with lawmakers from the center-left and from the conservative party.

AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
JD Vance Warns Europe Faces “Civilizational Suicide” Over Open Borders and Speech Limits
Germany Enters Fiscal Crisis as Cabinet Approves €174 Billion in New Debt
Trump Administration Finalizes Broad Tariff Increases on Global Trade Partners
JD.com Launches €2.2 Billion Bid for German Electronics Retailer Ceconomy
Azerbaijan Proceeds with Plan to Legalise Casinos on Artificial Islands
IMF Upgrades Global Growth Forecast as Weaker Dollar Supports Outlook
House Republicans Move to Defund OECD Over Global Tax Dispute
France Opens Criminal Investigation into X Over Algorithm Manipulation Allegations
Trump Steamrolls EU in Landmark Trade Win: US–EU Trade Deal Imposes 15% Tariff on European Imports
ChatGPT CEO Sam Altman says people share personal info with ChatGPT but don’t know chats can be used as court evidence in legal cases.
Intel Reports Revenue Beats but Sees 81% Rise in Losses
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
UN's Top Court Declares Environmental Protection a Legal Obligation Under International Law
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
The Podcaster Who Accidentally Revealed He Earns Over $10 Million a Year
UK Government Considers Dropping Demand for Apple Encryption Backdoor
Japanese Man Discovers Family Connection Through DNA Testing After Decades of Separation
Russia Signals Openness to Ukraine Peace Talks Amid Escalating Drone Warfare
Switzerland Implements Ban on Mammography Screening
Pogacar Extends Dominance with Stage Fifteen Triumph at Tour de France
President Trump Diagnosed with Chronic Venous Insufficiency After Leg Swelling
CEO Resigns Amid Controversy Over Relationship with HR Executive
NVIDIA Achieves $4 Trillion Valuation Amid AI Demand
Tulsi Gabbard Unveils Evidence Alleging Political Manipulation of Intelligence During Trump Administration
Centrist Criticism of von der Leyen Resurfaces as she Survives EU Confidence Vote
Trump Announces Coca-Cola to Shift to Cane Sugar in U.S. Production
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
Zelensky Reshuffles Cabinet to Win Support at Home and in Washington
"Can You Hit Moscow?" Trump Asked Zelensky To Make Putin "Feel The Pain"
Church of England Removes 1991 Sexuality Guidelines from Clergy Selection
Superman Franchise Achieves Success with Latest Release
Hungary's Viktor Orban Rejects Agreements on Illegal Migration
Air India Pilot’s Mental Health Records Under Scrutiny
Jamie Dimon Warns Europe Is Losing Global Competitiveness and Flags Market Complacency
Moonshot AI Unveils Kimi K2: A New Open-Source AI Model
Martha Wells Says Humanity Still Far from True Artificial Intelligence
Nvidia Becomes World’s First Four‑Trillion‑Dollar Company Amid AI Boom
EU Delays Retaliatory Tariffs Amid New U.S. Threats on Imports
Trump Proposes Supplying Arms to Ukraine Through NATO Allies
US Opens First Rare Earth Mine in Over 70 Years in Wyoming
Bitcoin Reaches New Milestone of $116,000
Severe Heatwave Claims 2,300 Lives Across Europe
Declining Beer Consumption Signals Cultural Shift in Germany
Emails Leaked: How Passenger Luggage Became a Side Income for Airport Workers
Polish MEP: “Dear Leftists - China is laughing at you, Russia is laughing, India is laughing”
Western Europe Records Hottest June on Record
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
China’s Central Bank Consults European Peers on Low-Rate Strategies
France Requests Airlines to Cut Flights at Paris Airports Amid Planned Air Traffic Controller Strike
×