Since French President Emmanuel Macron’s explosive gamble to dissolve parliament before the summer, rumors have swirled over how the newly divided National Assembly would be represented in the administration. Finally, Macron has revealed his cabinet – led by Prime Minister Michel Barnier marking a shift to the right and leaving left-leaning politicians out in the cold. It comes more than two months after snap elections led to a hung parliament. The left-wing bloc New Popular Front (NFP) won the most seats but not enough for an absolute majority. Macron’s centrist Ensemble came second and Marine Le Pen’s far-right party, National Rally (RN), placed third. Initially, RN was closer to the gates of power than ever before, then foiled mainly due to scores of left-wing and centrist candidates withdrawing from the second round in a strategic bid to avoid splitting the vote. But Macron’s prime minister and cabinet bear little resemblance to July’s parliamentary election results. The right-wing-heavy cabinet looks certain to spell more political turmoil in a country tired of its president. At risk…
