French President Emmanuel Macron Appoints New Cabinet After Previous Governments Collapse
President Emmanuel Macron of France on Monday appointed a new cabinet less than three weeks after the previous government collapsed over a bitter budgetary stalemate.It was unclear how long the government might last or whether it would be able to assuage broader concerns about political instability in Europe at a time when the region faces significant security and economic challenges.The center-right orientation of the new French government roughly mirrors that of the previous one, which lasted less than three months after coming under attack from the left and the far right in Parliament.It demonstrates that Mr.
Macron and his new prime minister, François Bayrou, remain committed to the idea that France can be governed from the center, even amid a period of intense political polarization.But choosing another government with a rightward slant may make it hard to bring left-leaning lawmakers in on a much-needed deal to fund the government next year.At the very least, the announcement of new ministers gives France a functioning government at a time when Germany, another cornerstone of the European Union, remains adrift.
The German government of Chancellor Olaf Scholz collapsed this month, and new elections are likely to be held in late February.The political turmoil in the two heavyweight countries of Europe comes at a particularly perilous time for the continent.The election of Donald J.
Trump as U.S.president for a second time has spurred concerns about whether the United States will continue to support Ukraine in the war against Russia and about whether Mr.
Trump might upend NATO.There are also growing worries about anemic economic growth in Europe compared to the United States and about the prospect of Mr.Trump’s following through on threats to impose tariffs that could set off a trade war.We are having trouble retrieving the article content.Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.Thank you for your patience while we verify access.
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