France, Ségolene Royal returns to the government: he will be Minister of the Environment

PARIS – Ségolène Royal, former partner of French President François Hollande, was named a member of the new Valls government in the reshuffle following the outcome of the municipal elections. Royal was entrusted with the Ministry of Environment and Ecology after the Greens refused to join the new formation led by the former Interior Minister. Royal was the 2007 Socialist presidential candidate, in which she was defeated by Nicolas Sarkozy.

There are 16 ministers of the new government of Manuel Valls. The list, which also includes five women, was announced this morning by the general secretary of the Elysée, Pierre-René Lemas.

Laurente Fabius and Jean-Yves Le Drian were confirmed respectively at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Defense. Arnaud Montebourg is the new Minister of the Economy while Bernard Cazeneuve will be Valls successor to the Interior Ministry.

At the head of the Ministry of Education there will be Benoit Hamon, while to the Justice Christiane Taubira is confirmed. Michel Sapin is the new finance minister; Marisol Touraine received the Ministry of Social Affairs.

Leading the Ministry of Labor will be François Rebsamen, Najat Vallaud-Belkacem will head the Ministry of Equal Opportunities and Cities. Sylvia Pinel is the new Minister of Construction, Marylise Lebranchu remains in decentralization.

Aurélie Filippetti remains Minister of Culture and Communication, Stéphane Le Foll will lead the Department of Agriculture. George Pau-Langevin is the Minister for the Overseas Territories.

(02 April 2014)