The wait was long. Almost a month after the re-election of Emmanuel Macron, the members of Elisabeth Borne’s government are known. Friday, May 20, the secretary general of the Elysée, Alexis Kohler, unveiled the government that will be in charge during this second five-year term. A team made up of 27 ministers, including 14 men and 13 women. Parity is respected if we add Elisabeth Borne to Matignon. Here is what to remember from this government.
Fourteen ministers confirmed
In this Borne government, several ministers gain the stripe or are confirmed in their function, after the Castex years. This is the case of Bruno the Mayornumber two in the government, who remains in Bercy as Minister of the Economy, Finance and Industrial and Digital Sovereignty or Gerald Darmanin who continues his tenure at Beauvau as Minister of the Interior. Eric Dupond Moretti remains Minister of Justice and Frank Riester Minister Delegate in charge of Foreign Trade and Attractiveness. Clement Beaunewho was Secretary of State in charge of European Affairs, remains on the same perimeter but is promoted Minister Delegate in charge of Europe.
Amelie de Montchalinformer Minister of Transformation and Public Service, takes over the Ministry of Ecological Transition and Territorial Cohesion whileAgnes Pannier-Runacherformer Deputy Minister in charge of Industry, takes charge of the Energy Transition. Sebastien Lecornuformer Minister of Overseas, is appointed Minister of Defence. Marc Fesneauformer Minister Delegate in charge of Relations with Parliament and Citizen Participation, is the new Minister of Agriculture and Food Sovereignty. Brigitte Bourguignonformer Deputy Minister in charge of Autonomy, replaces Olivier Veran as Minister of Health and Prevention. The latter becomes Minister Delegate in charge of Relations with Parliament and Democratic Life.
Olivier Dussoptwho was in charge of Public Accounts, takes over the Ministry of Labour, Full Employment and Integration. Gabriel Attal, former government spokesperson, is Minister Delegate in charge of Public Accounts. It is replaced by Olivia Gregoire to the spokesperson. She occupied the Secretary of State in charge of the Social, Solidarity and Responsible Economy.
Thirteen new entrants
On the incoming side, the list is long, in order to mark the renewal promised by Emmanuel Macron. The number three in the government is called Catherine Colonna. This ambassador to the United Kingdom since 2019 and former minister, takes the reins of the Quai d’Orsay as Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs. Pap Ndiayehistorian and director of the Museum of the History of Immigration in Paris, is appointed Minister of National Education and Youth.
Rima Abdul Malakcultural adviser to Emmanuel Macron, is the new Minister of Culture. Sylvie Retailleaupresident of the University of Paris-Saclay, is the new Minister of Higher Education and Research. Amelie Oudea-Casteraformer Director General of the French Tennis Federation, takes over the Ministry of Sports and the Olympic and Paralympic Games.
Isabel RomeInspector General of Justice and Magistrate, was appointed Minister Delegate for Gender Equality, while Charlotte CaubelDirector of Youth Judicial Protection, replaces Adrien Taquet as Secretary of State for Children.
On the political side, Damien Abadformer president of the LR group in the Assembly, becomes Minister of Solidarity, Autonomy and Disabled People. Christophe BechuMayor of Angers and close to Edouard Philippe, has been appointed Minister Delegate in charge of Local Authorities. Justine Beninmember of the MoDem, is the new Secretary of State in charge of the Sea. Stanislas Gueriniboss of LREM, replaces Amélie de Montchalin in the Civil Service. Yael Braun-Pivet, LREM President of the Law Commission in the Assembly, becomes Minister of Overseas Territories. At last, Chrysoula ZacharopoulouMEP LREM, is Secretary of State for Development, Francophonie and International Partnerships.
Fourteen outgoing ministers
The list of outgoing heavyweights is long. Exit, for example, Jean-Yves Le Drian in Foreign Affairs, Jean-Michel Blanquer to National Education, Florence Parly to the armies, Barbara Pompili to the Ecological Transition, Roselyne Bachelot to Culture, Frederique Vidal in higher education, Annick Girardin at the sea or Julien Denormandie to Agriculture.
The balance tilts more to the right than to the left
By appointing Elisabeth Borne Prime Minister, Emmanuel Macron breaks with the previous five-year term which had seen two Prime Ministers from the right be appointed. The new head of government is indeed labeled rather on the left.
But in this new government, the sovereign ministries remain in the bosom of the right. The two heavyweights from LR, Bruno Le Maire and Gérald Darmanin, are confirmed in their functions, respectively at Bercy and Beauvau. They are joined by the only “war prize” of the Borne government: Damien Abad, who has just left the presidency of the LR group in the National Assembly for the Ministry of Solidarity, Autonomy and People with Disabilities. Note also the arrival of Christophe Béchu, close to Edouard Philippe and member of Horizons, to the Territorial Communities.
Catherine Colonna, the new host of the Quai d’Orsay, is labeled on the right since she was spokesperson for the presidency of Jacques Chirac from 1995 to 2004 then Minister Delegate for European Affairs in the Villepin government from 2005 to 2007. Others ministers owe their rise to Emmanuel Macron but also historically come from the right, like Amélie de Montchalin or Franck Riester, president of Agir.
The left seems, once again, the weak leg of Emmanuel Macron since no entrant from a party of this political side is to be noted. Pap Ndiaye, who embodies this tendency, does not come from the political seraglio. Note, however, the presence of ministers from the left confirmed in this new government, such as Olivier Véran, Olivier Dussopt, Yaël Braun-Pivet, Brigitte Bourguignon and Gabriel Attal.
Gender parity respected
When the Castex government was formed in July 2020, parity in the 16 major ministries was strictly respected. With the nominations in the secretariats of State, there were 22 women for 21 men.
In the new government, with 14 women (including Elisabeth Borne) and 14 men appointed, parity is once again respected. Nine women and nine men hold full-fledged ministries and five women and five men are appointed deputy ministers or secretaries of state.
On the other hand, on the side of the sovereign ministries, there are more men than women. The Interior, Justice, the Armies and the Economy fall to men. Only one woman, Catherine Colonna at Foreign Affairs, occupies a ministry of this type. As in the government of Jean Castex.
Personalities from civil society
This is the major surprise of this new government. Pap Ndiaye, the current director of the National Museum of the History of Immigration in Paris, is the new Minister of National Education and Youth. The appointment of this 56-year-old normalien and historian, specialist in the social history of the United States and minorities, marks a break with the profile of his predecessor, Jean-Michel Blanquer, rue de Grenelle.
Sylvie Retailleau, appointed to Higher Education and Research, is also not accustomed to political contests. At 57, this graduate in physical sciences has spent her entire career in higher education. After starting out as a lecturer in Paris XI, since 2019 she has held the presidency of Paris-Saclay University, the first in France according to the Shanghai ranking.
Charlotte Caubel is the new Secretary of State in charge of Children. This 45-year-old magistrate has been the director of the judicial protection of youth since September 2020. Passed by the court of Bobigny, where she officiated as vice-president alongside the prosecutor François Molins, this former student of Sciences Po Paris, was promoted to assistant prosecutor to her former mentor at the Paris prosecutor’s office.
Another magistrate Isabel Rome, in charge of equality between women and men, served as an adviser in the cabinet of the former Minister of Justice, Marylise Lebranchu, in the early 2000s.
Two “super ministries” which share Ecology
Among the 27 ministries announced on Friday, there are two new moroccos: that of the Ecological Transition and the Cohesion of the Territories, and that of the Energy Transition. The new Prime Minister, Elisabeth Borne, will be in charge of the ecological planning desired by Emmanuel Macron. This planning will be implemented by Amélie de Montchalin and Agnès Pannier-Runacher.
The first will be responsible for implementing ecological planning in the territory. Objective: to implement the campaign promises of the re-elected president, such as better access to electric cars. The energy renovation of housing will also be one of the priorities, with the objective of renovating 3.5 million housing units by the end of the five-year period. As a reminder, the president has promised to increase the budget for the Ecological Transition by 50 billion euros.
Agnès Pannier-Runacher, former Minister of Industry in Emmanuel Macron’s first five-year term, will be in charge of matters relating to energy. In its boxes, in particular: the launch of six nuclear reactors and fifty offshore wind farms, for commissioning in 2050.