French Prime Minister Manuel Valls presented a new Socialist government, a day after dissolving his cabinet in a dispute over austerity measures.
Gone are leftist rebels Arnaud Montebourg and Benoit Hamon, who openly criticized President François Hollande‘s belt-tightening agenda. Montebourg was replaced as economy minister by Emmanuel Macron.
Najat Vallaud-Belkacem, a rising star of the Socialist Party who was women‘s rights minister in the last government, succeeds Hamon as education minister. Vallaud-Belkacem, 36, is the first woman in the history of the 56-year-old Fifth Republic to have held the post.
Several Hollande loyalists kept their top jobs. They include Finance Minister Michel Sapin, Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius, Defence Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian and Hollande‘s ex-partner, Environment Minister Segolene Royal.
The main people to constitute the new French government are as follows;
Minister of Finance Michel Sapen
Minister of Economy Emmanuel Macron
Minister of Foreign Affairs Laurent Fabius
Minister for European Affairs Harlem Desiree
Minister of Interior Bernard Cazeneuve
Minister of Education Najat Vallaud Belkacem
Minister of Ecology Segolene Royal
Minister of Labour Francois Rebsamen
Minister of Culture Fleur Pellerin
Defence Minister Jean – Yves Le Drian
Minister of Justice Christiane Taubira
Minister of Health Marisol Touraine