Ukraine-friendly ministers of Foreign Affairs and Defense have retained their positions in the new French government.

The new composition of the cabinet of ministers was announced on the evening of Monday, December 23, by the head of the French presidential administration.

The government was formed ten days after the appointment of the new Prime Minister of the country, centrist François Bayrou, by the head of state, as reported by RFI.

Several heads of key departments from the previous government retained their positions.

Minister of Defense – Sébastien Lecornu. A long-time ally of President Emmanuel Macron, he switched sides in 2017 from the French right and has led the military department since 2022 (having held various positions in the government prior to that for three years). He is the one promoting the idea of deploying non-nuclear deterrent Western forces in Ukraine.

“Imagine a ceasefire or a peace agreement – you will understand that the issue of placing non-nuclear deterrent forces on Ukrainian territory, in order to be able to repel a new threat from Russia, is a matter that needs to be worked on immediately,” Lecornu stated.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Jean-Noël Barrot. A representative of the centrist party Democratic Movement MoDem, led by François Bayrou. The party is part of the pro-presidential bloc in the National Assembly. He became the head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on September 21 during the formation of Michel Barnier's government. Prior to this, he held the position of Minister Delegate for European Affairs in the foreign ministry since February.

Barrot stated that Paris has no intention of establishing any “red lines” regarding support for Ukraine, and that Kyiv can strike Russia with French long-range SCALP missiles “in the logic of self-defense.”

Barrot also spoke about working on inviting Ukraine to NATO, as requested by President Zelensky.

“We are open to sending an invitation, and thus in our discussions with our friends and allies, as well as with the friends and allies of Ukraine, we are working to bring them closer to our positions,” Barrot said.

Other Ministers

Minister of the Interior Bruno Retailleau. A representative of the right-wing conservative party “The Republicans” (Gaullists). He took over the Ministry of the Interior in September this year during the formation of Michel Barnier’s government, which included representatives from Macron’s party, its allies from the centrist bloc in parliament, as well as the right-wing “Republicans.” Previously, Bruno Retailleau led the party faction in the Senate, where the right holds a majority. Retailleau is known for his extremely conservative views and tough stance on immigration.

Élisabeth Borne, who served as Prime Minister from May 2022 to January 2024, has been appointed Minister of Education – at the rank of State Minister.

The Minister of Justice has been appointed Gérald Darmanin. From 2020 to January 2024, he held the position of Minister of the Interior. From 2017 to 2020, he was responsible for budgetary issues in the French government. Darmanin began his political career in the right-wing party “The Republicans,” where he was regarded as one of the close young associates of Nicolas Sarkozy. He switched to Macron's side in 2017.

Former socialist Manuel Valls, who served as Prime Minister of France from April 2014 to the end of 2016, has been appointed Minister for Overseas Territories.

The Minister of Economy and Finance has been appointed Éric Lombard. He joined the government from his position as director of the state financial and investment body Caisse des Dépôts et Consignations.

The Prime Minister himself François Bayrou is a politician well-known to the French for several decades and consistently advocates centrist positions. He has led the Democratic Movement MoDem party since 2007. Since 2014, he has served as the mayor of the southern city of Pau.

Bayrou has run for the presidency of France three times (2002, 2007, 2012). From 1993 to 1997, he held the position of Minister of Education.

François Bayrou has been a loyal ally of Emmanuel Macron since 2017. His party MoDem is part of the pro-presidential centrist bloc in parliament (together with Macron's own party “Renaissance” and the center-right party “Horizons” of former Prime Minister Édouard Philippe).

In 2017, he served as Minister of Justice in Macron's first government.

A certified university lecturer in classical philology, Bayrou is the author of several books on French history during the reign of Henry IV.

Upon taking office, Bayrou quoted a historical phrase uttered by François Mitterrand when he learned on May 10, 1980, of his election as President of France: “Here, at last, the troubles begin.”