Women in the Government of the New French President E. Macron
Emmanuel Macron has formed a many-faceted Council of Ministers, bringing together not only people whose political views are diametrically opposed (the right and the left), but also taking care to ensure that women and men are represented in equal numbers in the new Council of Ministers. Macron has named 22 candidates for minister – 11 women and just as many men. Of these, 15 or 16 will be ministers, two will be deputy ministers and four will be secretaries of state.
Sylvie Goulard, an expert and spokesperson on European affairs, was nominated as Minister of the Armed Forces.
Muriel Pénicaud has been appointed Minister of Labour, an area that will certainly hold many challenges, as the new president has planned radical reforms to employment policy.
Laura Flessel, an Olympic fencing champion of whom the French are very proud, has become Minister of Sport.
Frédérique Vidal will head the Ministry of Higher Education, Research and Innovation. Élisabeth Borne has become Minister of Transport.
The Ministry of Culture will be headed by Françoise Nyssen.
What is interesting is that in France there is a post of Secretary of State in the Prime Minister’s cabinet for an area such as gender equality between women and men. Marlène Schiappa, a blogger who created the popular blog “Working Mum” (in French – Maman travaille), has been appointed Secretary of State for Equality. The creation of such a post follows the promises Macron made during the election campaign to achieve equal pay for women and men in France, as well as to reduce sexual crimes against women.
Sophie Cluzel has been appointed Secretary of State in the Prime Minister’s cabinet for the rights of persons with disabilities.
Agnès Buzyn, who is the daughter of a Polish Holocaust survivor, has become Minister of Solidarity and Health.
A new post has also been created – Minister of European Affairs alongside the French Minister of Foreign Affairs. It is held by Marielle de Sarnez. An interesting post has been entrusted to Annick Girardin – she will head the French Ministry of Overseas Affairs.
It is worth mentioning that the newly elected French president has already met with criticism over the fact that his wife is older than he is (Brigitte Macron is 24 years older than Emmanuel; Brigitte was Emmanuel’s teacher when he fell in love with her). Macron, for his part, already during the election campaign – in which he alone actively and publicly involved his life partner – said that he would try to secure a greater role for the president’s spouse (something similar to the status of First Lady in the USA), since at present the French Constitution does not provide any rights for the president’s spouse.
“It is important that the person you live with also has a role” ..
“I hope that this role can be defined, and I will ask for it to be worked on,”
said the new French president, who is not embarrassed by his wife’s age and has promised to fight for women’s rights in all areas.
Sources:
Website of the French government
http://www.gouvernement.fr (accessed 21.05.2017)
The Telegraph, Henry Samuel, Paris, “Europe at heart of Emmanuel Macron’s Left-Right government with gender parity and female defence minister” 2:30PM, 17 May 2017
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/
BBC News, Europe, “Macron cabinet: Women are half of France’s new ministers” 17 May 2017
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-39948523
Le Point “Gouvernement: Marlène Schiappa, de “Maman travaille” à l’Égalité” (17/18.05.2017)
The Local (FR) “France’s ‘first lady’: Does Brigitte Macron want to be the French Michelle Obama?” 14 May 2017
https://www.thelocal.fr/20170514/what-role-will-brigitte-macron-have-as-frances-first-lady