As part of a government reshuffle in France, President Emmanuel Macron is sticking with many heavyweights from the previous cabinet. However, there is one change at the Foreign Ministry: Stéphane Sejourn, secretary general of Macron's Renaissance Party and adviser to the former president, has replaced Catherine Colonna. Sejourne previously chaired the Liberal Group in the EU Parliament and is a former partner of new Prime Minister Gabriel Attal.

There is also a change at the top of the Ministry of Culture. It will be chaired by Rachida Dati, Minister of Justice from 2007 to 2009 and from the conservative opposition Les Républiques. He follows Rima Abdul Malak, who has been embroiled in an affair surrounding actor Gerard Depardieu, who has been accused of sexual and sexual abuse. He described Depardieu as a “disgrace to France”, while Macron somewhat defended the actor.

More men, a little more right-wing

The previous government's political figures, such as Economy Minister Bruno Le Maire, Interior Minister Gérald Dormanin, Defense Minister Sébastien Lecornu and Justice Minister Eric Dupont-Moretti, will remain in office. Environment Minister Christophe Bechu and Agriculture Minister Marc Fesneau were also confirmed in office. That means seven influential ministries are in the hands of men. The cabinet is also considered more right-wing than before.

Dati, a conservative former justice minister, is the most surprising newcomer to take over the cultural sector. Dati was the first woman of Maghrib origin to head a key ministry under former President Nicolas Sarkozy.

On Tuesday, Macron appointed Attal, the previous education minister, as the new prime minister. Elizabeth Bourne's centrist government earlier resigned under pressure from the president. With the new government, Macron wants to unify his own camp and go strong into the European elections, in which Marine Le Pen's right-wing nationalists threaten to significantly overtake his party.