New government unveiled in France: Foreign Ministry headed by supporter of aid to Ukraine

France unveils new government: MFA headed by Ukraine aid advocate Diana Kvasniewska

A new government was presented in France/screenshot from video

A new government was presented in France on September 21, headed by Michel Barnier. The government of the Prime Minister of the country has now become more “right-wing”, as it is dominated by conservatives and centrists.

The government of France was presented at a briefing on September 21 by the Secretary General of the Elysee Palace Alexis Kohler.

What is known about the new government of France

Alexis Kohler said that the new government was formed by 39 ministers, deputy ministers and secretaries of state. The Secretary General of the Elysee Palace said that

• Jean-Noël Barrot has become the head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, who is a centrist and supports Ukraine. In particular, he called it a mistake not to discuss the use of French capabilities to send troops to Ukraine.
• The Minister of the Interior was Bruno Retailo, who previously headed the Republican party group in the Senate. He is a conservative who previously dealt with the immigration issue;
• The Minister of Defense – Sébastien Lecornu – retained his post. He is a close associate of the President of France
• 33-year-old Antoine Armand, who was the chairman of the parliamentary commission on economic affairs, became the Minister of Finance;
• The Ministry of Justice was headed by Didier Migault – a former Socialist and the only left-of-center politician in the Cabinet;
• Anne Geneté became the Minister of Education.

Important background

France 24 noted that the government was formed more than two months after elections in France that left parliament hanging and deepening political divisions as Paris grapples with mounting financial and diplomatic problems.

The first big task for the new prime minister will be to present a budget plan for 2025. After all, recently the politician, speaking about the financial situation in the country, called it “very serious.”

The Presidential Palace announced that the country's President Emmanuel Macron will gather all members of the government for a meeting of the Council of Ministers, which will take place at 15:00 on September 23.

It is worth noting that in early September, the French went out to protest because of the appointment of right-wing politician Michel Barnier as Prime Minister of the country. By the way, the 73-year-old politician and diplomat became the oldest Prime Minister of the country.