Rachida Dati named new French culture minister, Sejourne becomes foreign minister

Record ID: 1762505

  • Title: Rachida Dati named new French culture minister, Sejourne becomes foreign minister
  • Date: 11th January 2024
  • Summary: PARIS, FRANCE (FILE - MARCH 9, 2020) (REUTERS) ***WARNING: CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY*** VARIOUS OF DATI WITH FORMER FRENCH PRESIDENT, NICOLAS SARKOZY, DURING CAMPAIGN RALLY FRANKFURT, GERMANY (FILE - NOVEMBER 17, 2023) (REUTERS) EUROPEAN CENTRAL BANK PRESIDENT, CHRISTINE LAGARDE, IN DISCUSSION BEFORE WALKING TO HER SEAT LAGARDE TAKING SEAT LAGARDE LOOKING ON LAGARDE WALKI
  • Embargoed: 25th January 2024 20:59
  • Keywords: France Paris culture minister foreign minister government politics
  • Location: PARIS AND STRASBOURG, FRANCE / FRANKFURT, GERMANY
  • City: PARIS AND STRASBOURG, FRANCE / FRANKFURT, GERMANY
  • Country: Various
  • Topics: Government/Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA002165411012024RP1
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text:French President Emmanuel Macron poached former Nicolas Sarkozy minister Rachida Dati to join his new government, a surprise move that will further weaken his conservative opponents and signals his desire to bring political experience to his cabinet.
    Dati, a vocal former justice minister who enjoys strong name recognition in France, was named culture minister in Macron's new government, which also confirmed heavyweights Bruno Le Maire and Gerald Darmanin for the finance and interior portfolios.
    By poaching a big name from conservative ranks, Macron moves away from a previous tendency to put technocrats in cabinet roles and shows the president is gearing up for political battle ahead of European parliament elections in June.
    His government now also leans even more clearly to the right, in another sign he wants to take on a resurgent far right in the elections just five months away.
    The first batch of ministers announced by his office on Thursday (January 11), which also includes MEP Stephane Sejourne as foreign minister, comes after Macron named rising political star Gabriel Attal as his prime minister earlier this week.
    Dati, 58, who comes from humble, North African origins, was until now the head of the conservative opposition at Paris City Hall, meaning Macron also took out one potential rival to conquer the Paris mayorship, currently in Socialist hands.
    European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde, who was on French TV on Thursday evening, did not deny that she had turned down the foreign ministry.
    Sejourne, who was named instead, is one of the "Macron boys" who helped Macron win the presidency in 2017 and was most recently his member in the European parliament, confirming the president is focused on turning around his fortunes for the vote.
    (Production: Natasa Bansagi)
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