France's Macron mixes political shades in ministerial appointments

Newly inaugurated centrist French president Emmanuel Macron chose his government on Wednesday, appointing a mix of political hues to the top jobs as part of his promise to bridge the right-left divide.

 

Having already made conservative Edouard Philippe, a member of The Republicans party, his prime minister earlier in the week, Macron picked Bruno Le Maire apro-European, German-speaking rightist, also from The Republicans, as his economy minister.

 

As interior minister, he picked Gerard Collomb, the mayor of Lyon who was one of the first Socialists to be a vocal supporter of Macron.

 

Jean-Yves Le Drian, outgoing Socialist defense minister and a close friend of ex-President Francois Hollande, was named foreign minister and minister for Europe.

 

Sylvie Goulard, a centrist EU lawmaker, was named defense minister.