Ségolène Royal gets key role in French cabinet reshuffle
Source: The Guardian
Royal at a handover ceremony in Paris on Wednesday, 22 years after Hollande's ex-partner took up her first ministerial job.
Ségolène Royal, the French president's former partner, has been given a key cabinet position in a dramatic government reshuffle.
Royal, 60, was appointed environment, sustainable development and energy minister in François Hollande's new "government of combat", a shakeup regarded as the president's last chance to fulfil his election pledges and salvage his reputation.
It is a long-awaited comeback for Royal, an experienced politician and former Socialist party (PS) presidential candidate and came exactly 22 years after she took up her first ministerial job on 2 April 1992.
She had been angling for a government post since Hollande was elected in 2012, despite having witheringly said of her former partner before he came to power: "Can the French people name a single thing he has achieved in 30 years in politics?"
However, Royal's enforced exile was due more to personal than political reasons. The president, who does not like conflict, felt unable to appoint her for fear of upsetting his former partner Valérie Trierweiler, for whom he left Royal, the mother of his four children.
Read more: http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/apr/02/segolene-royal-french-cabinet-reshuffle
well there's a silver lining. . . .
msanthrope
(37,549 posts)ucrdem
(15,512 posts)msanthrope
(37,549 posts)ucrdem
(15,512 posts)Royal and Hollande in 1999, when she worked at the ministry of education and he was the Socialist Party leader (AFP).
http://www.france24.com/en/20140402-segolene-royal-return-political-socialist/
Beacool
(30,244 posts)My family in France are big supporters of Segolene, particularly my sister in law. She must be thrilled.
Segolene is the one who should have been president, unfortunately she lost to Sarkozy. Her ex (Hollande) is no great shakes either.
As for Valérie Trierweiler, she should have remembered that what goes around, comes around.
ucrdem
(15,512 posts)Dunno if she can save Hollande though.
Beacool
(30,244 posts)Hollande has turned out to be not that good at his job.
nikto
(3,284 posts)Than she does in men.