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| French Leader Approves a New Cabinet | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| PARIS — President François Hollande of France approved a new cabinet on Wednesday, putting some high-profile figures in key positions, including Ségolène Royal, his former partner, who became the environment and energy minister, but making other appointments that were unlikely to do much to reassure the European Union about the country’s lagging economy. | |
| Ms. Royal, the Socialist Party’s presidential candidate in 2007 who lost to Nicolas Sarkozy, has been largely absent from national politics in recent years. She served in previous Socialist cabinets and has remained a vocal member of the party, saying on Sunday when the Socialists suffered embarrassing defeats in local elections that the results were a “severe warning.” | |
| In the aftermath of those losses, Mr. Hollande dismissed Prime Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault and replaced him with the interior minister, Manuel Valls. | In the aftermath of those losses, Mr. Hollande dismissed Prime Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault and replaced him with the interior minister, Manuel Valls. |
| Elevated to the post of economy minister was Arnaud Montebourg, whose economic ideas have enjoyed populist appeal. He is known for jousting — with mixed results — with foreign investors and companies he viewed as daring to criticize the French labor system. | Elevated to the post of economy minister was Arnaud Montebourg, whose economic ideas have enjoyed populist appeal. He is known for jousting — with mixed results — with foreign investors and companies he viewed as daring to criticize the French labor system. |
| Mr. Montebourg will share economic responsibilities with the more sober Michel Sapin, a longtime friend of Mr. Hollande, who will become the finance minister. Mr. Sapin, as labor minister, had been in charge of the government’s halting efforts to stem France’s increasing unemployment. | |
| It is unclear how the government plans to divide tasks between Mr. Sapin and Mr. Montebourg. Economic analysts as well as officials in Brussels and Berlin are not big fans of Mr. Montebourg’s denunciations of austerity policies. | It is unclear how the government plans to divide tasks between Mr. Sapin and Mr. Montebourg. Economic analysts as well as officials in Brussels and Berlin are not big fans of Mr. Montebourg’s denunciations of austerity policies. |
| Several ministers maintained important portfolios, including the defense minister, Jean-Yves Le Drian; the foreign minister, Laurent Fabius; and the justice minister, Christiane Taubira, who is something of a lightning rod, reviled by the right and beloved by the left for her championing of same-sex marriage. | Several ministers maintained important portfolios, including the defense minister, Jean-Yves Le Drian; the foreign minister, Laurent Fabius; and the justice minister, Christiane Taubira, who is something of a lightning rod, reviled by the right and beloved by the left for her championing of same-sex marriage. |