Zürcher Nachrichten - France's Macron replaces embattled education minister

EUR -
AED 4.269234
AFN 80.747171
ALL 98.080176
AMD 449.296326
ANG 2.080199
AOA 1065.844912
ARS 1464.514001
AUD 1.783092
AWG 2.092172
AZN 1.976412
BAM 1.958399
BBD 2.361879
BDT 142.148666
BGN 1.9563
BHD 0.438229
BIF 3485.896645
BMD 1.162318
BND 1.498876
BOB 8.084661
BRL 6.462739
BSD 1.169953
BTN 100.37322
BWP 15.73188
BYN 3.828782
BYR 22781.426517
BZD 2.349665
CAD 1.595124
CDF 3354.448871
CHF 0.931601
CLF 0.029289
CLP 1123.950026
CNY 8.337294
CNH 8.347545
COP 4690.532995
CRC 590.083185
CUC 1.162318
CUP 30.801419
CVE 110.410592
CZK 24.644603
DJF 208.336513
DKK 7.462673
DOP 70.583682
DZD 151.264224
EGP 57.403733
ERN 17.434765
ETB 162.537928
FJD 2.621494
FKP 0.867753
GBP 0.86792
GEL 3.150033
GGP 0.867753
GHS 12.167044
GIP 0.867753
GMD 83.100848
GNF 10149.470827
GTQ 8.978917
GYD 244.672635
HKD 9.124043
HNL 30.60462
HRK 7.53426
HTG 153.609913
HUF 400.103455
IDR 18935.782243
ILS 3.906521
IMP 0.867753
INR 99.878537
IQD 1532.63418
IRR 48962.631722
ISK 142.406944
JEP 0.867753
JMD 186.968152
JOD 0.824097
JPY 172.989483
KES 150.155716
KGS 101.640729
KHR 4688.101253
KMF 493.549108
KPW 1046.145791
KRW 1612.855142
KWD 0.355448
KYD 0.974994
KZT 615.316676
LAK 25221.475057
LBP 104127.086711
LKR 352.237505
LRD 234.571333
LSL 20.822637
LTL 3.432022
LVL 0.703075
LYD 6.340415
MAD 10.546807
MDL 19.772243
MGA 5186.884262
MKD 61.641283
MMK 2439.803528
MNT 4168.892865
MOP 9.459856
MRU 46.492853
MUR 53.059611
MVR 17.899787
MWK 2028.692571
MXN 21.86076
MYR 4.935175
MZN 74.341802
NAD 20.822637
NGN 1777.602145
NIO 43.057147
NOK 11.945638
NPR 160.597152
NZD 1.956715
OMR 0.446908
PAB 1.169943
PEN 4.171737
PGK 4.839423
PHP 66.306151
PKR 332.965026
PLN 4.258093
PYG 9059.023537
QAR 4.265124
RON 5.076074
RSD 117.126521
RUB 90.95098
RWF 1690.543764
SAR 4.35936
SBD 9.669971
SCR 17.063617
SDG 697.977271
SEK 11.313256
SGD 1.493386
SHP 0.913399
SLE 26.093788
SLL 24373.225166
SOS 668.587379
SRD 43.545647
STD 24057.629254
SVC 10.236586
SYP 15112.316557
SZL 20.815627
THB 37.783482
TJS 11.184548
TMT 4.079735
TND 3.373622
TOP 2.722268
TRY 46.774456
TTD 7.942542
TWD 34.18179
TZS 3039.460814
UAH 48.924435
UGX 4193.529759
USD 1.162318
UYU 47.682877
UZS 14857.719823
VES 135.787803
VND 30403.3247
VUV 138.807864
WST 3.20021
XAF 656.828772
XAG 0.030561
XAU 0.000348
XCD 3.141221
XDR 0.816884
XOF 656.828772
XPF 119.331742
YER 280.526058
ZAR 20.828854
ZMK 10462.253387
ZMW 26.699417
ZWL 374.265819
  • CMSC

    0.0900

    22.314

    +0.4%

  • CMSD

    0.0250

    22.285

    +0.11%

  • RBGPF

    0.0000

    69.04

    0%

  • SCS

    0.0400

    10.74

    +0.37%

  • RELX

    0.0300

    53

    +0.06%

  • RIO

    -0.1400

    59.33

    -0.24%

  • GSK

    0.1300

    41.45

    +0.31%

  • NGG

    0.2700

    71.48

    +0.38%

  • BP

    0.1750

    30.4

    +0.58%

  • BTI

    0.7150

    48.215

    +1.48%

  • BCC

    0.7900

    91.02

    +0.87%

  • JRI

    0.0200

    13.13

    +0.15%

  • VOD

    0.0100

    9.85

    +0.1%

  • BCE

    -0.0600

    22.445

    -0.27%

  • RYCEF

    0.1000

    12

    +0.83%

  • AZN

    -0.1200

    73.71

    -0.16%

France's Macron replaces embattled education minister
France's Macron replaces embattled education minister / Photo: ALAIN JOCARD - AFP/File

France's Macron replaces embattled education minister

French President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday replaced his education minister after a series of controversies, seeking to regain momentum for the final phase of his presidency under Prime Minister Gabriel Attal.

Text size:

Macron reshuffled the cabinet with a tilt to the right on January 11 after naming Attal, 34, as France's youngest and first openly gay prime minister.

One of the key moves was putting former French junior tennis champion Amelie Oudea-Castera, already serving as sports minister, in charge of a super ministry comprising both sports and education.

But a series of controversies -- including her insistence that she sent one of her children to a private school because of lost teaching hours -- put her under pressure within hours of being appointed.

The presidency announced that she would be replaced by former justice minister Nicole Belloubet.

Belloubet, 68, a mild-mannered law professor, is seen as a safe choice to handle one of the most delicate posts in French politics.

However, Oudea-Castera kept her old role as sports minister, meaning she will keep her responsibility for the Olympic Games later this year.

Commentators had said her position had become increasingly untenable after it also emerged the elite Catholic private school she sent her three sons to was being itself investigated for homophobic comments in the classroom.

Speaking on television, Attal acknowledged a sense of "discomfort" provoked by Oudea-Castera but he defended her record.

Attal praised Oudea-Castera's "total commitment" to the job and her "great rigour."

- 'Pillar of political life' -

Earlier this week there had been speculation Francois Bayrou, head of the centrist MoDem that is allied to Macron's party and a key political ally of the president, could be on the brink of a return to the government.

Bayrou was acquitted on Wednesday in a seven-year case over the fraudulent employment of parliamentary assistants by his party, with the judge ruling he was owed the "benefit of the doubt".

But in comments that sent a shockwave through Macron's ruling alliance, Bayrou told AFP on Wednesday he would not enter the government, blaming a lack of "profound agreement on policy to follow".

He said he had been interested in the education ministry but "many discussions have led me to conclude there was a difference in approach on the method".

He said he was offered the defence ministry but refused because it was "the sector in French politics doing the best at the moment".

Bayrou had also last month publicly criticised the appointment of Attal, suggesting he lacked the experience for the role, although the premier denied tensions played a role.

"I have spoken several times with Francois Bayrou in recent days. Francois Bayrou is a pillar of French political life," Attal told France 2. "We agreed together that (he) was not necessarily the best solution for the ministry of national education."

Macron also finalised the reshuffle by completing the line-up of junior ministers who will join cabinet ministers in what the Elysee hopes will be a more streamlined government of 35 ministers including Attal.

MoDem kept four posts in the government, despite fears Bayrou's comments could spark a walk-out, including Jean-Noel Barrot who takes the post of Europe minister at the foreign ministry.

But Bayrou's moves provoked mockery from the opposition, with the leader of right-wing Republicans in parliament, Olivier Marleix, saying the reshuffle had descended into "one and a half months of cinema and theatre".

The January 11 reshuffle was seen as crucial by analysts in helping Macron relaunch his presidency after a series of setbacks and prevent a defeat by the far-right in June European elections and the next presidential elections in 2027.

After serving the maximum two terms, Macron cannot stand again, with right-wing figurehead Marine Le Pen sensing her best chance to claim the Elysee.

H.Roth--NZN