France unveils next government

PARIS — French Prime Minister Michel Barnier revealed his new government on Saturday, ending a record-long two-month transition period that politically paralyzed France.

The Cabinet includes a mix of holdovers from the last government and several conservative newcomers.

One of the most noteworthy appointment is Bruno Retailleau — a staunch conservative known for his hardline stances on immigration which in the past led to accusations of racism — as interior minister.

Jean-Noël Barrot, a member of the Macron-allied centrist Democratic Movement, will serve as the France’s foreign affairs minister. He is the son of former EU commissioner Jacques Barrot and previously served as France’s minister for European affairs.

Barnier, who was named premier earlier this month, first submitted an initial list of Cabinet members to President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday following days of tense negotiations over the makeup of the government.

Key figures within the pro-Macron coalition had raised concerns over rumors that Barnier was open to the idea of raising taxes to reduce France’s growing deficit — a prospect Macron’s Renaissance party had identified as a “red line.”

Then there was an issue over how many key Cabinet positions the Republicans — Barnier’s conservative party, which holds a small number of seats in the French National Assembly — would secure at the expense of Macron’s centrists. The French president urged his prime minister to build a government which would lean towards “national unity.”

Macron’s decision to call snap elections after the far-right National Rally’s landslide victory in the European elections in June resulted in a political deadlock, with no party or coalition coming close to an absolute majority.

The French president ruled out the possibility of the pan-left New Popular Front, which had narrowly won the election, forming a government, citing the likelihood that it would be torpedoed by an immediate vote of no confidence. But a leftist government would have likely tried unravel key pieces of his legacy, including his controversial decision to raise the minimum retirement age, as well.

The new administration is made up of centrist and right-wing forces and has the tacit support of the far right for now. In a statement released Thursday, the prime minister’s office said the new government would prioritize on improving living standards; guaranteeing security and controlling immigration; boosting France’s economic appeal; protecting the environment; and reining in French debt.

Barnier will further outline his government’s next steps during his inaugural policy speech before parliament on Oct.1.