New French interior minister says security will be top priority

PARIS - France’s new Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau said on Sept 23 that security would be his top priority as he and other ministers from Prime Minister Michel Barnier’s government took office.

Mr Retailleau, 63, a conservative known for his hard-right views, is one of the few heavyweights in a government Mr Barnier and President Emmanuel Macron struggled to put together after snap elections in early July

delivered a hung parliament.

While an alliance of left-wing parties topped the ballot

, and the far-right National Rally (RN) was the single party with the most votes, Mr Macron's centrists eventually struck a deal with the centre right and conservatives to form a government.

“The French people want more order – order in the streets, order at the borders,” said Mr Retailleau, a long-time senator for the conservative Republicans (LR) party.

He said he would be tough on those who attack or disrespect politicians, and would also take a tough stance on anti-Semitism.

Mr Retailleau, who has long called for much stricter policies on immigration that would include allowing welfare benefit cuts, did not spell out what his policies on that front would be.

The ministers, including the new finance and budget ministers, are mostly little known to the general public and many have little political clout.

Meeting them all together on Sept 23 for the first time, Mr Barnier urged them to be humble, work as a team and shun PR stunts, his office said.

“Show respect for all our compatriots and political parties, listen to everyone,” Mr Barnier’s office quoted him as telling his Cabinet.

Mr Barnier on Sept 22 opened the door to raising taxes on France’s wealthiest individuals and some big corporations to help close a gaping hole in the public finances, but said he would protect the lower and middle classes.

Despite the entry of 10 politicians from the Republicans in Cabinet, Mr Macron kept a number of outgoing ministers in key posts. Only one left-wing politician joined the Cabinet, Mr Didier Migaud as justice minister.

How stable the new government will be, and whether it will manage to get reforms adopted by parliament, remains to be seen, with the adoption of the 2025 budget a first, tough challenge.

The centrist and conservative parties managed to join forces, but will depend on others, and in particular Ms Marine Le Pen’s far-right RN, to stay in power and get Bills adopted by a very fractured parliament.

The RN gave tacit support to Mr Barnier’s premiership but reserved the right to back out at any point if its concerns over immigration, security and other issues were not met. REUTERS