Macron reshuffles Cabinet amid criticism after riots

French President Emmanuel Macron reshuffled his cabinet for important domestic sectors such as education, housing, and urban affairs on Thursday, as his administration began its reaction to the country’s three-week-old unrest. The most prominent shift was at the education ministry, where budget minister Gabriel Attal, 34, replaced Pap Ndiaye, a Black studies university scholar who had come under criticism from right-wing, conservatives. The reshuffle came in the second term of President Emmanuel Macron which has been facing internal crises including months of demonstrations over pension reforms and five days of rioting after the police shot of an Algerian and Moroccan teenager during a traffic check. Other party figures are also joining government ranks, including Aurore Bergé, leader of Macron’s Renaissance group in the National Assembly, who is taking over as the new solidarity minister. Thomas Cazenave will replace Attal as budget minister, Politico.eu reported. Marlène Schiappa, who was junior minister for social economy, is leaving the government after holding several ministerial positions since 2017. Schiappa came under fire during fiery parliamentary debates over Macron’s unpopular pension reforms for posing on the cover of Playboy magazine. She has also faced allegations of cronyism over the use of public subsidies aimed at fighting online radicalization. Heavyweights such as Economy and Finance Minister, Bruno Le Maire, and Interior Minister, Gérald Darmanin, continue to hold their jobs as are European and Foreign Affairs Minister, Catherine Colonna, and Secretary of State for Europe, Laurence Boone, Politico.eu reported. Fifty-seven-year-old academic Ndiaye, whose nomination last year sparked controversy over his alleged “wokeist” agenda, failed to make a mark on his portfolio, though education had been touted as a priority for Macron’s second term.