French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal, right, with Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin. AFP
French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal, right, with Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin. AFP
French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal, right, with Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin. AFP
French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal, right, with Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin. AFP

French political heavyweights to keep top jobs in cabinet reshuffle


Sunniva Rose
  • English
  • Arabic

France's new Prime Minister, Gabriel Attal, has kept some of the government's top ministers, including those at the interior, finance, defence and justice ministries, French media reported on Thursday.

Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin, who oversees security arrangements for this summer's Paris Olympic Games, was the first to announce on Wednesday that he would stay in place.

That came a day after President Emmanuel Macron appointed Mr Attal, 34, France's youngest Prime Minister, in a surprise move because of his relative lack of experience.

A rising star in French politics, Mr Attal is regarded as Mr Macron's political successor.

He replaced Elisabeth Borne, 62, who was weakened after a year of turbulent politics and tough pension and immigration reforms.

Mr Attal is one of France's most popular politicians and cemented his reputation with a ban on Muslim dress in public schools last year during his six-month tenure as Education Minister.

Originally a supporter of the Socialist Party, he shifted to Mr Macron's new centrist movement when it was founded in 2016 and became his party's spokesman in 2018.

Gabriel Attal, right, delivers his speech as France's new Prime Minister as his predecessor Elisabeth Borne looks on. Pool/AP
Gabriel Attal, right, delivers his speech as France's new Prime Minister as his predecessor Elisabeth Borne looks on. Pool/AP

But Mr Macron's attempt at giving a fresh face to his latest government seemed to have reached its limits as it became clear that Mr Darmanin and France's longest-serving Finance Minister, Bruno Le Maire, would keep their jobs.

Justice Minister Eric Dupond-Moretti and Defence Minister Sebastien Lecornu are also expected to stay.

They all have right-wing political backgrounds except for Mr Dupond-Moretti, a lawyer.

French commentators interpreted the continuity as a signal of relative weakness ahead of an expected tough European election in June, BFM TV reported.

Centrist groups close to Mr Macron are struggling in the polls, way behind the far-right, and the president is viewed as needing strong political figures beside him.

Stephane Sejourne, 38, has been named France's Foreign Affairs Minister, succeeding Catherine Colonna.

Mr Sejourne is the head of Mr Macron’s Renaissance party and of the Renew Europe group of liberal, pro-European politicians at the European Parliament.

Sports Minister Amelie Oudea-Castara keeps her job less than six months before the Paris Olympics, and also gets the education portfolio – a role previously held by Mr Attal.

The Culture Ministry goes to Rachida Dati, a member of conservative party The Republicans. Ms Dati was a justice minister under conservative President Nicolas Sarkozy.

Another rising star in Mr Macron's entourage who has reportedly been appointed to the new cabinet is Secretary of State for Youth Prisca Thevenot, 38, who becomes government spokeswoman, said Radio France and BFM TV.

French governments usually include as many men as women, although men were over-represented in powerful ministries in the latest cabinet.

Mr Attal's office told the media that Emmanuel Moulin, a close ally of Mr Macron's powerful chief of staff Alexis Kohler, would become the prime minister's chief of staff, in a sign that the President may keep a close eye on his premier, as he did with his predecessors.

The reshuffle is likely to intensify the race within Mr Macron's camp to succeed him in the next presidential election in 2027.

Former prime minister Edouard Philippe, Mr Darmanin and Mr Le Maire all seen as possible candidates, alongside the fast-rising Mr Attal.

The specs

Engine: 2.9-litre twin-turbo V6

Power: 540hp at 6,500rpm

Torque: 600Nm at 2,500rpm

Transmission: Eight-speed auto

Kerb weight: 1580kg

Price: From Dh750k

On sale: via special order

F1 The Movie

Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem

Director: Joseph Kosinski

Rating: 4/5

Cryopreservation: A timeline
  1. Keyhole surgery under general anaesthetic
  2. Ovarian tissue surgically removed
  3. Tissue processed in a high-tech facility
  4. Tissue re-implanted at a time of the patient’s choosing
  5. Full hormone production regained within 4-6 months
Ruwais timeline

1971 Abu Dhabi National Oil Company established

1980 Ruwais Housing Complex built, located 10 kilometres away from industrial plants

1982 120,000 bpd capacity Ruwais refinery complex officially inaugurated by the founder of the UAE Sheikh Zayed

1984 Second phase of Ruwais Housing Complex built. Today the 7,000-unit complex houses some 24,000 people.  

1985 The refinery is expanded with the commissioning of a 27,000 b/d hydro cracker complex

2009 Plans announced to build $1.2 billion fertilizer plant in Ruwais, producing urea

2010 Adnoc awards $10bn contracts for expansion of Ruwais refinery, to double capacity from 415,000 bpd

2014 Ruwais 261-outlet shopping mall opens

2014 Production starts at newly expanded Ruwais refinery, providing jet fuel and diesel and allowing the UAE to be self-sufficient for petrol supplies

2014 Etihad Rail begins transportation of sulphur from Shah and Habshan to Ruwais for export

2017 Aldar Academies to operate Adnoc’s schools including in Ruwais from September. Eight schools operate in total within the housing complex.

2018 Adnoc announces plans to invest $3.1 billion on upgrading its Ruwais refinery 

2018 NMC Healthcare selected to manage operations of Ruwais Hospital

2018 Adnoc announces new downstream strategy at event in Abu Dhabi on May 13

Source: The National

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ETFs explained

Exhchange traded funds are bought and sold like shares, but operate as index-tracking funds, passively following their chosen indices, such as the S&P 500, FTSE 100 and the FTSE All World, plus a vast range of smaller exchanges and commodities, such as gold, silver, copper sugar, coffee and oil.

ETFs have zero upfront fees and annual charges as low as 0.07 per cent a year, which means you get to keep more of your returns, as actively managed funds can charge as much as 1.5 per cent a year.

There are thousands to choose from, with the five biggest providers BlackRock’s iShares range, Vanguard, State Street Global Advisors SPDR ETFs, Deutsche Bank AWM X-trackers and Invesco PowerShares.

Stuck in a job without a pay rise? Here's what to do

Chris Greaves, the managing director of Hays Gulf Region, says those without a pay rise for an extended period must start asking questions – both of themselves and their employer.

“First, are they happy with that or do they want more?” he says. “Job-seeking is a time-consuming, frustrating and long-winded affair so are they prepared to put themselves through that rigmarole? Before they consider that, they must ask their employer what is happening.”

Most employees bring up pay rise queries at their annual performance appraisal and find out what the company has in store for them from a career perspective.

Those with no formal appraisal system, Mr Greaves says, should ask HR or their line manager for an assessment.

“You want to find out how they value your contribution and where your job could go,” he says. “You’ve got to be brave enough to ask some questions and if you don’t like the answers then you have to develop a strategy or change jobs if you are prepared to go through the job-seeking process.”

For those that do reach the salary negotiation with their current employer, Mr Greaves says there is no point in asking for less than 5 per cent.

“However, this can only really have any chance of success if you can identify where you add value to the business (preferably you can put a monetary value on it), or you can point to a sustained contribution above the call of duty or to other achievements you think your employer will value.”

 

Brolliology: A History of the Umbrella in Life and Literature
By Marion Rankine
Melville House

if you go

The flights
Emirates flies to Delhi with fares starting from around Dh760 return, while Etihad fares cost about Dh783 return. From Delhi, there are connecting flights to Lucknow. 
Where to stay
It is advisable to stay in Lucknow and make a day trip to Kannauj. A stay at the Lebua Lucknow hotel, a traditional Lucknowi mansion, is recommended. Prices start from Dh300 per night (excluding taxes). 

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A new relationship with the old country

Treaty of Friendship between the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the United Arab Emirates

The United kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the United Arab Emirates; Considering that the United Arab Emirates has assumed full responsibility as a sovereign and independent State; Determined that the long-standing and traditional relations of close friendship and cooperation between their peoples shall continue; Desiring to give expression to this intention in the form of a Treaty Friendship; Have agreed as follows:

ARTICLE 1 The relations between the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the United Arab Emirates shall be governed by a spirit of close friendship. In recognition of this, the Contracting Parties, conscious of their common interest in the peace and stability of the region, shall: (a) consult together on matters of mutual concern in time of need; (b) settle all their disputes by peaceful means in conformity with the provisions of the Charter of the United Nations.

ARTICLE 2 The Contracting Parties shall encourage education, scientific and cultural cooperation between the two States in accordance with arrangements to be agreed. Such arrangements shall cover among other things: (a) the promotion of mutual understanding of their respective cultures, civilisations and languages, the promotion of contacts among professional bodies, universities and cultural institutions; (c) the encouragement of technical, scientific and cultural exchanges.

ARTICLE 3 The Contracting Parties shall maintain the close relationship already existing between them in the field of trade and commerce. Representatives of the Contracting Parties shall meet from time to time to consider means by which such relations can be further developed and strengthened, including the possibility of concluding treaties or agreements on matters of mutual concern.

ARTICLE 4 This Treaty shall enter into force on today’s date and shall remain in force for a period of ten years. Unless twelve months before the expiry of the said period of ten years either Contracting Party shall have given notice to the other of its intention to terminate the Treaty, this Treaty shall remain in force thereafter until the expiry of twelve months from the date on which notice of such intention is given.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF the undersigned have signed this Treaty.

DONE in duplicate at Dubai the second day of December 1971AD, corresponding to the fifteenth day of Shawwal 1391H, in the English and Arabic languages, both texts being equally authoritative.

Signed

Geoffrey Arthur  Sheikh Zayed

The biog

Name: Younis Al Balooshi

Nationality: Emirati

Education: Doctorate degree in forensic medicine at the University of Bonn

Hobbies: Drawing and reading books about graphic design

TO A LAND UNKNOWN

Director: Mahdi Fleifel

Starring: Mahmoud Bakri, Aram Sabbah, Mohammad Alsurafa

Rating: 4.5/5

The biog

Profession: Senior sports presenter and producer

Marital status: Single

Favourite book: Al Nabi by Jibran Khalil Jibran

Favourite food: Italian and Lebanese food

Favourite football player: Cristiano Ronaldo

Languages: Arabic, French, English, Portuguese and some Spanish

Website: www.liliane-tannoury.com

Updated: January 11, 2024, 8:18 PM