France’s new government faces ex-lover crisis
Attal, the country’s youngest and first gay prime minister, appoints his former partner, Sejourne, to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
France’s newly formed government, led by 34-year-old Gabriel Attal, the country’s youngest and first openly gay minister, has appointed his former partner Stephane Sejourne as the minister of foreign affairs.
Elysee Palace Secretary General Alexis Kohler announced the new cabinet at the presidential residence. Sejourne, a member of the European Parliament and leader of President Emmanuel Macron’s party Renaissance, was appointed France’s minister of Europe and foreign affairs. Sejourne, 38, became France’s youngest foreign minister of the fifth Republic period.
Attal and Sejourne, once in a civil partnership (PACS), have reportedly separated, as evident from indicators such as the absence of left ring finger rings since the summer of 2022. In 2019, Sejourne, in a civil relationship, disclosed Attal’s work to the High Authority for the Transparency of Public Life (HATVP). Notably, both members of the European Parliament (MEP) and the prime minister omitted to mention a PACS partner in their amended declarations from 2023, fueling speculation about their separation.
Half of the cabinet changed
Catherine Vautrin, who served as an MEP and deputy speaker of Parliament in the Republican (LR) Party between 2008 and 2017, became the minister of labor, health, and solidarity. Ruling party Renaissance MP Marie Lebec was appointed minister responsible for relations with Parliament.
Rachida Dati, mayor of the seventh district of Paris from the LR Party, was appointed as the head of the Ministry of Culture. Dati previously served as minister of justice during the reign of former President Nicolas Sarkozy. Prisca Thevenot, minister of state for youth affairs, was appointed as the minister responsible for democratic renewal and government spokesperson.
Minister of Solidarity and Family Aurore Berge has undergone a role shift to become the minister responsible for equality between women and men. Meanwhile, Amelie Oudea-Castera, the former minister of sports, will now serve as the minister of education, youth, sports, and the Olympic Games.
Names left from the old cabinet
Key figures that have retained their position in the cabinet include Minister of Internal Affairs Gerald Darmanin, Minister of Economy Bruno Le Maire, Minister of Justice Eric Dupond-Moretti, Minister of Defense Sebastien Lecornu, Minister of Agriculture Marc Fesneau, Minister of Ecological Transformation Christophe Bechu, Minister of Higher Education and Research Sylvie Retailleau.
The new cabinet’s first Council of Ministers Meeting will be held tomorrow morning.
Source: Newsroom
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