New president’s Cabinet taps old and new hands

PARIS — French President Emmanuel Macron named a mix of prominent and unknown figures from the left and the right Wednesday to make up the government tasked with pushing through his plans to reduce labor protections, tighten European unity and boost military spending.

The most senior Cabinet job — the post of interior minister — went to Gerard Collomb, 69, the Socialist mayor of Lyon who played a key role in Macron’s presidential bid. The Interior Ministry is responsible for securing France amid a high threat of extremist violence.

Jean-Yves Le Drian, 69, who led France’s military operations abroad as former President Francois Hollande’s defense minister, will stay on in Macron’s government as foreign minister and also be in charge of European affairs. Le Drian, another Socialist, brings deep experience that could prove valuable to the untested 39-year-old president.

Le Drian vowed to promote the country’s “key role” in the international community, noting continuity between his previous position and his new diplomatic job.

The armed forces will now be led by Sylvie Goulard, the most senior woman in the government. Goulard, 52, is a European Parliament member and strongly pro-European centrist politician who will be expected to champion Macron’s push for joint European military operations.

In an important gesture to the right-wing Republicans party ahead of parliamentary elections next month, the crucial Economy Ministry will be run by prominent conservative Bruno Le Maire, 48.

The Cabinet includes 18 ministers and 4 junior ministers, half of them women and half men. Center-right Prime Minister Edouard Philippe, whom Macron named Monday, is to lead the government at least until the elections.

The announcement initially planned for Tuesday was pushed back a day while authorities dug more deeply into candidates’ tax records and financial assets for signs of potential conflicts of interest.