Prime Minister Michel Barnier announced on Thursday, September 19, that France would have a government “before Sunday”. In the afternoon, he was received at the Elysée Palace for about fifty minutes by Emmanuel Macron, to whom he presented a list of thirty-eight ministers, including sixteen full-time ministers, the last hurdle being the ongoing ethical checks.
The full-time ministers include seven Macronists and three Republicans (LR), two MoDem, one Horizons and a member of the centrist UDI party. Among the three right-wing ministers is Bruno Retailleau, head of the LR senators, who should be appointed Minister of the Interior, according to several sources on the right and in the central bloc. Laurent Wauquiez, head of the LR deputies, took the lead by announcing that he was not joining the government, after having refused the post of Minister of Finance.
On the Macron side, the resigned Minister for European Affairs of the MoDem, Jean-Noël Barrot, will be proposed for Foreign Affairs, while the resigning Minister for the Armed Forces, Sébastien Lecornu (Renaissance), should be re-elected, according to a central bloc official.
Our articles to read
From Michel Barnier’s threat to resign to the termination of his team, the story of a crucial day of negotiations at Matignon
Government formation: Mayors are getting impatient
Gérald Darmanin’s delicate game to secure his future
Gabriel Attal keeps up the pressure on Michel Barnier to speak out against the Republicans
Between Michel Barnier and Emmanuel Macron, the first frictions
Find all our articles on this topic here.
