New and final French government: an interesting experiment
The new French government has been announced this morning, after the results of the second round of parliamentary elections. It is now composed of 15 Ministers and 16 Secretaries of state, among which 11 women and 3 representatives of “visible minorities” (and these last 3 are women by the way). In terms of political balance, you find a majority of conservatives coming from Sarkozy’s party UMP, a few bunch of Centrists, and no less than 3 socialists.
The French Ministry for foreign affairs is the place where socialist “renegades” (as their colleagues from the Socialist party would call them) are going to be able to display their talents. Beyond Bernard Kouchner, Minister for foreign affairs, and Jean-Pierre Jouyet, Secretary of State for European affairs, both of them appointed right after Sarkozy’s election, you find the new Jean-Marie Bockel, mayor of the French city of Mulhouse and just appointed Secretary of State for cooperation and “francophonie”. Bockel is a very interesting personnality: member of the socialist party for years, but always on a social-democrat and pro-market side of things.
Again, it tells a lot about the current state of the French left, which will have to rejuvenate itself in front of these competent, opinion-headed talents joining what remains a “conservative” government according to French political standards.
On the other hand, it is going to be interesting to watch how such an unsual governement will move forwards and carry reforms out.