Macron's Economy Minister Pitches to Keep Job in Reshuffle
Macron's Economy Minister Pitches to Keep Job in Reshuffle
(Bloomberg) -- French Economy and Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire is lobbying to keep his job when President Emmanuel Macron reshuffles the government, calling for continuity and stability to maintain the pace of reform.
Macron is due to make changes to his team after the resignation of his interior minister last week. The scope of the reshuffle is still unknown and the country has been left guessing as the French president has delayed his decision into the weekend at the earliest.
“Nothing is finalized,” Le Maire said on the sidelines of an event for start-ups and small businesses in Paris. “It’s the president and the prime minister who will decide all that, but both know I want to continue my work.”
If Macron removed his current finance minister, it would signal a deep rethink of strategy. Le Maire is in the midst of defending the budget as well as a separate bill of economic overhauls in parliament, while also leading Macron’s charge for deeper integration in the euro area.
“I only believe in action that is grounded in stability and continuity,” Le Maire said.
He also brushed aside the idea of taking on larger portfolio in the reshuffle.
“I am very happy with the economy and finance ministry, which is a heavy task as it is. But I am formulating ideas and proposals to go even further in the economic transformation of France,” Le Maire said.
To contact the reporters on this story: William Horobin in Paris at whorobin@bloomberg.net;Angelina Rascouet in Paris at arascouet1@bloomberg.net
To contact the editors responsible for this story: Fergal O'Brien at fobrien@bloomberg.net, Alan Crawford
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