France's Macron names new cabinet after MoDem exit

PARIS - French President Emmanuel Macron announced Wednesday a government reshuffle which brings new names with different political views and backgrounds following the unexpected departure of MoDem members who are targeted by an investigation over public fund misuse.

In an initially expected technical reshuffle after the parliamentary election win, judicial inquiries that haunted some of his ministers forced Macron to appoint left-wing law expert Nicole Balloubet as justice minister to replace centrist Francois Bayrou who decided to not take part in the new executive staff to have "freedom of speech" to defend his group's " honor" amid the party's fake job allegations.

Succeeding MoDem official Sylvie Goulard, Florence Parly, a socialist member and a former executive and budget official, takes in charge defense ministry in a context of high security alert and heat debate on extension of emergency rules.

Junior Minister for European Affairs Marielle de Sarnez, another MoDem minister to resign, is replaced by Nathalie Loiseau, while the left-wing radical senator Jacques Mezard, who handled agriculture affair in Macron's first government was named as minister for territorial planning to replace Richard Ferrand who will lead the Republic on The Move's party group in the National Assembly.

In his second cabinet lineup, Macron kept faith with main figures of the ministerial team in place since May with Jan-Yves Le Drian was still oversee foreign affairs ministry and Bruno Le Maire was still in charge of economy ministry.

Nicolas Hulot maintained his post at the ecology ministry, and Gerard Collomb was re-appointed to manage the country's interior affairs.

"We are in is in the same spirit as the first government: gender parity, personalities form civil society with a concern for renewal and tightened team with 28 members," French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe told TF1television.

The new cabinet will hold its first meeting on Thursday morning, according to the presidency office, the Elysee.