Macron Cabinet: Half of France’s New Ministers are Women

Critics argued that only one of the top five posts, that of defence, has gone to a woman.

French President, Emmanuel Macron (Photo: AP)

France's newly inaugurated President Emmanuel Macron has unveiled his cabinet, with women filling half of the 22 positions, media reports said.

Unveiling his cabinet on Wednesday, Macron designated Gerard Collomb as the Interior Minister, former presidential hopeful François Bayrou for Justice and Jean-Yves Le Drian – who was Defence Minister under former President François Hollande – as the Foreign Affairs and Europe Minister, CNN reported.

Sylvie Goulard takes Defence, Muriel Penicaud becomes Labour Minister and Agnes Buzyn is Health Minister. Annick Girardin, who was the Minister for Public Services under Hollande, is now the Overseas Territories Minister.

Sylvie Goulard, France’s new Defence Minister (Photo: AP)

Bruno Le Maire, who served under former centre-right President Nicolas Sarkozy, has been named as Macron's Economy Minister, Nicolas Hulot, a well-known environmentalist, becomes Ecology Minister, the media reports added.

Hollande also achieved gender parity in his 2012 cabinet, but commentators noted that most of the heavyweight roles went to men, CNN said.

Some 170 elected officials from the right were earlier criticised by hundreds of other lawmakers after they signed a statement backing Macron, the BBC reported. One accused Macron of "blowing up" the political landscape.

France's new President will hope his team delivers a majority in the parliamentary elections in June.

Although Macron has delivered on his pledge of a cabinet of parity - only one of the top five posts, that of defence, has gone to a woman, the BBC report said.