French President Emmanuel Macron has unveiled his new government almost three months after a snap general election delivered a hung parliament.

The long-awaited new line up, led by Prime Minister Michel Barnier, marks a decisive shift to the right, even though a left-wing alliance won most parliamentary seats.

It comes as the European Union puts France on notice over its spiralling debt, which now far exceeds EU rules.

Among those gaining a position in the new cabinet is Bruno Retailleau, a key member of the conservative Republicans Party founded by former president Nicolas Sarkozy.

Just one left-wing politician was given a post in the cabinet, independent Didier Migaud, who was appointed as justice minister.

France’s public-sector deficit is projected to reach around 5.6% of GDP this year and go over 6% in 2025. The EU has a 3% limit on deficits.

Michel Barnier, a veteran conservative, was named as Macron’s prime minister earlier this month.

Members of the left-wing alliance, the New Popular Front (NFP) have threatened a no-confidence motion in the new government.

Far-left leader Jean-Luc Mélenchon called for the new government to “be got rid of” as soon as possible.

On Saturday, before the cabinet announcement, thousands of left-wing supporters demonstrated in Paris against the incoming government, arguing that the left’s performance in the election was not taken into consideration.

Archive link

  • @RubicTopaz
    link
    4
    edit-2
    22 hours ago

    Your comment on that thread stated “Just tax the rich while maintaining a democracy,” which is describing a social “democracy”.

    And this

    What I called Democracy in the afforementioned thread was a hypothetical Democracy which redistrubes wealth and holds all people accountable as equals. An institution where people vote on policy and/or leaders to create a society thar benefits as many people as possible: the definition of the word.

    is idealism. Under a system where everyone’s held equally accountable and benefits as many people as possible (aka communism), there wouldn’t be any leaders in the first place. And you will never get a redistribution of wealth under a liberal “democracy”; only through revolution. This one will stay hypothetical.

    • @Specal
      link
      317 hours ago

      Bro stop wasting your time, their braincells are too tired for this.

    • @finitebanjo
      link
      -522 hours ago

      The alternative to my “idealism” is either no system of laws at all or a system controlled by the force of an absolute ruler.

      That is why I am calling you fake communists a bunch of Dictator Cocksuckers.