French politics
The new government
WHEN François Hollande, the French president, boldly appointed Manuel Valls, a reformist centre-left moderate, as his new prime minister on March 31st, he promised a fresh, lean “combat government”. Yet the team unveiled today by Mr Valls is odd. Most leading ministers kept their jobs. There were few newcomers. And the incoming finance minister, Michel Sapin, who replaces Pierre Moscovici, will share the building with Arnaud Montebourg, the meddling industry minister, who not only keeps that title but adds responsibility for “the economy” too.
Those who stay in their posts include Laurent Fabius, as foreign minister, and Jean-Yves Le Drian at defence.
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