French President Emmanuel Macron unveiled his new cabinet over the weekend, revealing an administration with a number of centrists and conservatives in key posts. The makeup marks a distinct shift toward the right for the center-left Macron, who is seeking to break through a political impasse following summer elections in which a left-wing alliance led in seats but failed to gain an outright majority (see previous write-up).
The news comes roughly two weeks after Macron appointed center-right lawmaker Michel Barnier (see other postings). Notably, the lineup left out any representatives from the party of leading opposition figure Marine Le Pen, despite the group finishing with the second-most parliamentary seats.
France faces a number of domestic challenges, including a total federal debt load that stands at more than $3.3T, or 110% of the country's gross domestic product—a violation of the European Union's guideline of 60% and the EU's third-highest behind Greece and Italy.
Commentaires