FRANCE

French President Macron’s government brings together mix of old and new faces

French President Emmanuel Macron unveiled his slate of cabinet ministers on Wednesday afternoon. He appointed a mix of political hues as part of his promise to bridge the right-left divide.

STEPHANE DE SAKUTIN / AFP | Alexis Kohler, Secretary General of the Elysee presidentiel Palace announces the composition of the French government, on May 17, 2017 in Paris.
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  • As interior minister, Macron chose Gerard Collomb, the mayor of Lyon who was one of the first Socialists to be a vocal supporter of Macron.
  • Centrist François Bayrou, whose party Modem supported Macron during his campaign, was named minister of justice.
  • Jean-Yves Le Drian, outgoing Socialist defence minister and a close friend of ex-president François Hollande, was named foreign minister and minister for Europe.
  • Of the 18 ministers, nine are women and nine are men, a reflection of Macron's campaign promise of gender parity.
  • Sylvie Goulard, a centrist EU lawmaker, was named defence minister.
  • The cabinet nominations come two days after Macron named a centre-right parliamentarian, Le Havre mayor Edouard Philippe, as his prime minister.
  • The first cabinet meeting will take place Thursday morning. 

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