It was just before 8 pm on Thursday, September 19, when Michel Barnier's car pulled into the courtyard of the Elysée Palace. Finally. After two weeks of intense behind-the-scenes negotiations, punctuated by burt of anger, slamming doors and threats of resignation, the prime minister, lips pursed, handed President Emmanuel Macron the list of ministers for his future government.
Respecting the deadline he had set himself, the 73-year-old former European commissioner, described as self-confident, believes he has put together a gender-balanced team, reflecting a broad balance of a motley Assemblée Nationale. The prime minister's office is satisfied with the appointment of "competent" people. Thirty-eight ministers, including 16 main ones, make up the team, according to the information provided by the group and party leaders represented in the future coalition.
In the key positions would be seven representatives of Renaissance, Macron's party, and three members of the right-wing Les Républicains (LR) party, as well as two from the centrist MoDem party and one from Horizons – former Prime Minister Edouard Philippe's party – that are both part of the presidential coalition. In addition to three main ministries, LR would take on other portfolios, including laïcité and overseas territories. This is a team that's "ready to act," claimed the prime minister's office, instructing Macron to "take his responsibilities" to endorse the list submitted.
These initial elements show that Barnier has drawn on the former majority and on the right to make his selection. While the prime minister claims to be representing a "break" with the previous government, his team's profile bears a striking resemblance to the previous one, being essentially made up of Macronists and LR elected representatives. This composition confirms the right-wing direction of Macron's administration. The only difference with previous governments since his 2017 election is that this time, the alliance between the presidential camp and the right is fully asserted.
The absence of figures from the left-wing Nouveau Front Populaire (NFP) alliance, for the moment, contributes to the impression of imbalance in the new team, even though the NFP came out on top in the second round of legislative elections. "In France, under Macron, it's all the losers of the last elections who are going to make up the government," denounced Manuel Bompard on X. The top official in the radical left La France Insoumise party then called for demonstrations on September 21, "everywhere in France against the biggest scam of the Fifth Republic."
You have 69.69% of this article left to read. The rest is for subscribers only.