New center-right government in France announced 2 months after divisive elections

A new centre-right government dominated by centrists and conservatives was announced by the French presidential palace on Saturday. 

The announcement came more than two months following elections that produced a hung parliament and deepened political divisions within the country. 

The 39-member Cabinet includes primarily ministers from Macron’s centrist alliance and the conservative Republicans. 

A left-wing coalition secured the most seats in the June-July parliamentary elections but failed to win a majority. 

Student groups and activists from the hard-left France Unbowed party protested on Saturday against a government they say rejects the voters’ will. 

Earlier this month, French President Emmanuel Macron named conservative Michel Barnier as Prime Minister despite his party’s poor showing in the elections. 

Barnier put together the new government following difficult negotiations. Macron approved and the announcement was made. 

France is a leading voice in EU policy, one of the world’s biggest economies and a nuclear-armed, veto-wielding member of the UN Security Council. Its government’s makeup and direction is therefore very important.