France's President Nicolas Sarkozy (4th
R) poses with Prime Minister Francois Fillon (3rd L) and the female
members of his newly named government at the Elysee Palace, after the
first weekly cabinet meeting, in Paris, May 18, 2007. (Xinhua/Reuters
Photo)
PARIS, May 18 (Xinhua) -- French President Nicolas Sarkozy on Friday
unveiled a 15-member-strong cabinet, with seven women appointed to key posts and
socialist Bernard Kouchner as new foreign minister.
The president also appointed former Prime Minister
Alain Juppe in charge of the environment, which Sarkozy says is a priority, and
named former Defense Minister Michele Alliot-Marie as interior minister.
Outgoing employment minister Jean-Louis Borloo takes up a new assignment heading
the ministry for economy, finance and employment.
As he had promised during the presidential elections,
Sarkozy reduced the number of ministers to 15, half of the previous government
by comparison. The new team will set its goals at implementing the president's
promises of change and reform to revitalize the sluggish French economy.
Longtime friend of Sakorzy Brice Hortefeux was named
to lead a new Ministry of Immigration, Integration and National Identity, which
is devised by Sarkozy aiming to help unite the country amid rising ethnic
diversities and tensions. Sarkozy's campaign adviser Rachida Dati will head the
Justice Ministry.
In addition, Eric Woerth will head a new public
accounts ministry that will draw up the state budget. Centrist Herve Morin will
replace Alliot-Marie as the new defence minister and Christine Lagarde has been
named agriculture minister.
Other members of Sarkozy's ruling Union for a Popular
Movement (UMP) Xavier Bertrand, Roselyne Bachelot, Xavier Darcos, Valerie
Pecresse and Christine Albanel are appointed respectively as the labor, social
affairs and solidarity minister, health, sports and youth minister, education
minister, higher education minister, and culture and communications minister.
Presidential chief of staff Claude Gueant revealed
the posts outside the presidential palace. The new cabinet is due to hold its
first meeting on Friday at 4:30 p.m. (1430 GMT), added Gueant.
Sarkozy named his closest aide during his election
campaign Francois Fillon, a 53-year-old moderate conservative of the ruling UMP
party, as prime minister on Thursday. Fillon was a former social and education
minister, and his crucial experience in pensions reform will be an asset to the
new president's administration.
PARIS, May 18 (Xinhua) -- French
presidential office on Friday announced the formation of the new French
government under new Prime Minster Francois Fillon: Full story
PARIS, May 17 (Xinhua) -- French
President Nicolas Sarkozy on Thursday named Francois Fillon as prime minister,
Sarkozy's office said in a statement.
Outgoing Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin, who has
been head of government since June 2005, handed over power to the new premier in
a formal ceremony at Matignon official residence on Thursday. Full story
PARIS, May 16 (Xinhua) -- French President-elect Nicolas
Sarkozy officially assumed the duties of the president during a ceremony held at
the presidential palace l'Elysee, in the presence of Jacques Chirac.
"From today henceforth, you incarnate France, you
symbolize the Republic and you represent all the French people," Jean-Louis
Debre, president of the French Constitutional Council said, after highlighting
the results of the presidential elections which saw Sarkozy emerge winner with
53.06 percent of all the valid votes cast against Socialist candidate Segolene
Royal. Full story
PARIS, May 16 (Xinhua) -- The
power handover ceremony between outgoing French President Jacques Chirac and
French President-elect Nicolas Sarkozy took place Wednesday morning at the
presidential palace l'Elysee.
This is the third ceremony of the kind to be held in
France during the fifth republic, following the one between Valery Giscard
d'Estaing and Francois Mitterrand in 1981, and that between Mitterrand and
Chirac in 1995. Full story
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