On the picture Laurent Fabius (left), Jean-Marc Ayrault (centre) and President Hollande – Picture by AP.
By Jure Kralj.
11 February 2016, Paris: The now ex-foreign minister, Laurent Fabius has stepped down as part of a recent reshuffle of the government cabinet. His policy was characterised by its’ interventionist stance, culminating in military interventions of French armed forces in Mali and as part of the coalition air strikes against the so-called Islamic State.
His successor, Jean-Marc Ayrault, is the third consecutive French foreign minister to have previously held the position of head of government. In a comment on the decision on Thursday, the French chief of state has stated that Ayrault’s experience was the decisive factor, however the move may also be further explained by Hollande’s desire to bring a loyal member of socialist conviction back to the governmentas commented by Le Monde Politique. Being one of the rare French politicians to master the German language, he is also considered by some to be a valuable asset in the rapport between Paris and Berlin, while on the internal political scene, he is rumoured to have facilitated the return of three ‘Greens’, belonging to Europe Ecologie-Les Verts (EELV), who quit the government in 2014.
The reshuffle took place with the aim of strengthening the majority of the socialist president Francois Hollande and the resulting governmental team will continue to be lead by Manuel Valls.
For more information
French Presidency: http://www.elysee.fr
Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Development: http://www.diplomatie.gouv.fr/en/
Embassy of France to The Netherlands (HE Ambassador Laurent Pic): www.ambafrance-nl.org
Embassy of France to Belgium (HE Ambassador Claude-France Arnould): www.ambafrance-be.org/
Embassy of France to Luxembourg (HE Ambassador Guy Yelda): www.ambafrance-lu.org/
Mission of France to the EU (Permanent Representative, HE Ambassador Pierre Sellal): http://www.rpfrance.eu
