French president reshuffles Cabinet after election losses

French President Emmanuel Macron rearranged his Cabinet on Monday after losing his parliamentary majority, reports AP.

 The new government includes familiar faces from Macron’s centrist alliance and the center-right, but none from the far-left and far-right parties that are now the main opposition forces in France’s National Assembly.

His government plans to present a bill addressing growing public concerns about soaring cost of living, but his opponents say Macron is out of touch with the day-to-day pain of inflation.

After France spent heavily to help the economy weather pandemic shutdowns and soften the blow of high energy prices, Macron warned Monday that “progress can rarely be financed with unsupported debt or at least unsustainable debt.” 

He said the government would focus on environmental challenges and “great demographic transitions” and work with local officials, companies and citizens to “transform profoundly our collective action.”