French interior minister sacked after backlash over handling of anti-racism protests

‘A new path must be forged’ French president says two years out from the end of his first term in office

Vincent Wood
Monday 06 July 2020 23:49 BST
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French Interior Minister Christophe Castaner leaves the French Government following a reshuffle by newly nominated Prime Minister
French Interior Minister Christophe Castaner leaves the French Government following a reshuffle by newly nominated Prime Minister

The French president Emmanuel Macron has ousted his top security official in a significant shakeup of his government ahead of the final two years of his term.

The centrist leader – who is yet to announce if he will run for a second time in 2022 – had already announced on Friday that Jean Castex, a career civil servant with no ministerial experience who had crafted the plan for the country to emerge from lockdown, would take on the role of prime minister, replacing the widely praised Edouarde Philippe.

Now in a sweeping shakeup of his cabinet, the Elysee has announced the removal of interior minister Christophe Castaner from his post, just weeks after he had come under fire for his response to Black Lives Matter protests in the country.

Mr Castaner had initially announced a ban on the use of chokeholds in policing to sate protestors, but then backed down in the face of counter-demonstrations and pressure by police unions.

He is to be replaced by former budget minister Gerald Darmanin – who previously stood as a conservative and defected to Mr Macron’s centrist En Marche party in 2017.

The reshuffle has been touted as an attempt to shift the government’s focus to post-virus economic recovery in the last two years of Mr Macron’s term – with more power being vested in the ministries for finance, social affairs and the environment.

Having promised the government would be one of “purpose and unity”, Mr Macron wrote on Twitter that the platform on which he was elected “must adapt to the international upheavals and crises we are experiencing. A new path must be forged”.

He went on to name controversial lawyer Eric Dupond-Moretti – who has defended WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange and suspected terrorists, and has been critical of the French judicial system – as the head of the Justice Ministry.

Elisabeth Borne will take charge of an enhanced Labour and Social Affairs ministry just as the downturn unravels Macron’s hard-fought gains on unemployment and the president seeks to reset relations with unions and voters after waves of protests. She previously led the Ministry for Ecological and Inclusive Transition.

Meanwhile, Barbara Pompili, a former Green Party politician, was moved to the powerful Ministry for Ecological Transition, a top priority for Mr Macron’s presidency. She had previously served as biodiversity minister under Macron’s predecessor Francois Hollande.

Mr Macron didn’t change the finance or health ministers, posts central to helping France through the virus crisis and recession, or the foreign and defence ministers.

Additional reporting by agencies

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