French prime minister's resignation may bring cabinet reshuffling

[Blue_Tires]

Source: CNN

(CNN) -- French Prime Minister Francois Fillon resigned Saturday, setting the stage for an expected cabinet reshuffling.
President Nicolas Sarkozy accepted the resignation of Fillon and his government, Sarkozy's office said.
The expected move came weeks after the French parliament passed controversial pension reform, sparking protests.
Fillon's resignation gives Sarkozy the opportunity to shake up the current leadership of some ministries, said Christian Mallard, senior foreign policy analyst for France 3 television.
It's very possible Sarkozy may reappoint Fillon, as early as Sunday, Mallard told CNN. The new prime minister would form a government.
"The French like him," Mallard said of Fillon, a moderate conservative. "A lot of people think it would be a mistake for Sarkozy to fire him."
The resignation may accomplish something else.
"The future government will be downsized, maybe from 28 to 16 (ministers)," Mallard said.

Read more: http://www.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/europe/11/13/france.prime.minister/index.html

[defendandprotect]

1. Is this what French demonstrators/unions wanted to happen?

Shouldn't it be Sarkozy resigning?

Don't get it !!

[suffragette]

2. It looks like Sarkosy is reducing his cabinet to all loyalists

to him in preparation for his 2012 campaign for reelection. It also looks like that tilts it further to the right.
At least that's what I'm getting from a quick read.

He's already renamed Fillon since this report.



http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,,6227449,00.html
France's government has moved a step closer to a full-scale reshuffle as President Nicolas Sarkozy accepted the formal resignation of his Cabinet. Francois Fillon has already been renamed as prime minister.

The renewal of the French Cabinet has been in the offing since March, and the resignations are considered a traditional formality, allowing the head of state to select new ministers without having to give any incumbents the axe.

It was expected that Fillon would be quickly reappointed as prime minister, while the new Cabinet will likely be made up of politicians from Sarkozy's center-right UMP party.
~~~
There has been mounting political tension in France in recent months as the president's supporters jostle for position ahead of speculation that Sarkozy will bid for re-election in 2012.

http://www.iol.co.za/news/world/sarkozy-to-reshuffle-cabinet-1.789073

Paris - France's President Nicolas Sarkozy was to name a new cabinet line-up on Sunday, hoping to reinvigorate his government and set the stage for his undeclared 2012 re-election campaign.
~~~
Sarkozy's own opinion poll approval ratings dropped to around 30 percent, as voters turn their backs on his domineering personal style or are outraged by austerity measures like his raising of the retirement age.

In recent months he has taken a sharp swerve to the right on law and order and immigration issues, sparking international outrage with a drive to expel Roma Gypsies back to their homelands in Eastern Europe.
~~~
Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner, a high-profile former Socialist, is expected to go, and right-wing former prime minister Alain Juppe confirmed Saturday that he expects to rejoin government as defence minister.

[defendandprotect]

3. Thanks for all the info .... but I thought the French had a plan to get to the left?

That's what confuses me.

These days almost nothing political makes any sense, I guess!


:)