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Radio France Internationale

National

RFI

Who's in, and out, in France's new government?

Emmanuel Macron Brigitte Macron Aurélien Rousseau Aurore Bergé Gabriel Attal France Elisabeth Borne Marlène Schiappa Patrice Vergriete

From left, Junior Minister for youth and civic service Prisca Thevenot, Minister for solidarity, autonomy and people with disabilities Aurore Bergé and Junior Minister for disabilities Fadila Khattabi. AFP - BERTRAND GUAY

President Emmanuel Macron has reshuffled ministers in key domestic portfolios such as education, housing and urban affairs in a bid to put the government in a stronger position to continue its reform programme and respond to recent riots. The 41-strong cabinet has eight new members, with more traditional MPs and Macron loyalists. Here's the new line-up.

Minister for Education: Gabriel Attal. Seen as a Macron protegé and close ally, 34-year-old Attal was previously budget minister and government spokesperson. He takes over from Pap Ndiaye.

Health: Aurélien Rousseau. Rousseau was in charge of the Paris regional health authority during the Covid pandemic, but is a technocrat, not a medical professional. He used to run PM Elisabeth Borne's office. He replaces François Braun.

Solidarity: Aurore Bergé. Another Macron ally and leader of his party in the Assemblée nationale. Bergé becomes junior minister at the health ministry, seconding Aurélien Rousseau. She takes over from Jean-Christophe Comb.

Urban affairs: Sabrina Agresti-Roubache. Born and bred in Marseille, she was elected a local MP in 2022. A friend of Brigitte Macron's, she used to be a TV producer and worked on the Netflix series "Marseille", centred around the city's fictional mayor. She replaces Olivier Klein.

Biodiversity: Sarah El Haïry. Former youth minister, 34-year-old El Haïry takes on the newly created post of biodiversity minister.

Equality: Bérangère Couillard. MP for Gironde in western France, she comes from the environment ministry. She replaces Isabelle Rome.

Housing: Patrice Vergriete. Mayor of the northern port town of Dunkirk, Vergriete has experience in urban planning and housing.

Overseas territories: Philippe Vigier. MP for the centrist Modem party – which supported Macron's election and re-election – he replaces Jean-François Carenco.

Budget: Thomas Cazenave. The 45-year-old economist and MP for Gironde is another Macron loyalist. He takes over from Gabriel Attal.

Disabilities: Fadila Khattabi. Former president of the commission for social affairs, she moved over from the Socialist Party to join Macron's Renaissance. A "success story" from a poor northern banlieue of Marseille, Khattabi is off to a complicated start after a former employee successfully sued her for non-payment of overtime. She replaces Geneviève Darrieussecq.

Social economy: Marlène Schiappa, who previously held the post, is leaving the government following a controversy over alleged misuse of funds. The post disappears, at least for the moment. Olivier Gregoire is to incorporate some of Schiappa's responsibilities within her role as minister delegate of small businesses and tourism at the Ministry of Finance.