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Castex government
42nd Government of French Fifth Republic
Castex in 2020
Date formed	3 July 2020 (2020-07-03)
Date dissolved	16 May 2022 (2022-05-16)
People and organisations
President	Emmanuel Macron
Prime Minister	Jean Castex
Member parties	LREM MoDem RAD Agir TDP EC
Status in legislature	Majority 345 / 577 (60%)
History
Election	2017
Predecessor	Philippe II
Successor	Borne

The Castex government (French: gouvernement Castex) was the forty-second government of the French Fifth Republic, formed on 3 July 2020 and headed by Jean Castex as Prime Minister under the presidency of Emmanuel Macron. It was dissolved on 16 May 2022, after Élisabeth Borne was selected as prime minister following the re-election of Macron.

Context

Formation

After three years with the same government, the 2020 municipal elections raised the question of a new administration and led to speculations about a governmental reshuffle. The performance of President Macron's party, La République En Marche! (LREM), at these elections strengthened the rumors. On 3 July 2020, Édouard Philippe tendered the resignation of his government to the President of the Republic. The same day, the Élysée Palace informed the press that Jean Castex, incumbent Mayor of Prades, would replace him and form a new government, the third since the election of Macron.

At the time of his appointment, Castex was very little known, only for his management of France's exit of lockdown following the COVID-19 pandemic. The composition of the government was announced on 6 July 2020 by Alexis Kohler, Secretary-General of the Élysée Palace, with a sizeable number of ministers from the previous one retained. Among the main changes, Gérald Darmanin, previously Minister for Public Accounts, replaced at the Interior Christophe Castaner who was heavily criticised by National Police's unions following accusations of violence and racism in their ranks. However, the nomination of Darmanin was met with protests by feminist movements over accusations of rape in 2009, as well as the one of Minister of Justice Éric Dupond-Moretti for his defense as lawyer of men accused of rapes.

The new cabinet also saw the return of Roselyne Bachelot, who previously served as minister under Jacques Chirac and Nicolas Sarkozy, as well as Barbara Pompili, former Secretary of State for Biodiversity under François Hollande, while main portfolios holders, such as Jean-Yves Le Drian, Jean-Michel Blanquer, Bruno Le Maire or Florence Parly remained in office.

The Prime Minister delivered his policy speech before the National Assembly and asked for its confidence on 15 July 2020; he obtained it by 345 votes out of 577.

On 26 July, the remaining state secretaries were appointed. Bruno Le Maire declared to be working at relaunching the French economy while Castex said to be ready to reopen dialogue over a controversial pension reform. A plan for a new lockdown amid the COVID-19 pandemic was also said to be ready.

Composition

Ministers

Deputy Ministers

State Secretaries

References

1. Government of the French Republic (3 July 2020). "Decree appointing the Prime Minister". legifrance.gouv.fr (in French). Retrieved 11 July 2020.
2. "France votes in municipal elections with Paris mayoral race in the balance". France 24. 28 June 2020. Retrieved 11 July 2020.
3. Chris O'Brien (29 June 2020). "France Elections: Green Wave Scrambles Macron's 2022 Reelection Bid". Forbes. Retrieved 11 July 2020.
4. Presidency of the French Republic (3 July 2020). "Jean CASTEX nommé Premier ministre". elysee.fr (in French). Retrieved 11 July 2020.
5. "France's Macron picks Jean Castex as PM after Philippe resigns". BBC. 3 July 2020. Retrieved 11 July 2020.
6. Michel Rose (3 July 2020). "France's Macron picks little-known civil servant as new prime minister". Reuters. Retrieved 11 July 2020.
7. Government of the French Republic (7 July 2020). "Decree on the composition of the Government". legifrance.gouv.fr (in French). Retrieved 27 July 2020.
8. Pascale Davies & Alasdair Sandford with AFP (6 July 2020). "New French government named under Prime Minister Jean Castex in Macron reshuffle". Euronews. Retrieved 11 July 2020.
9. "French police protest against being 'abandoned' by the government". Radio France Internationale. 15 June 2020. Retrieved 11 July 2020.
10. Adam Nossiter (8 July 2020). "Macron's New Cabinet Stirs Ire of French Feminists". New York Times. Retrieved 11 July 2020.
11. Marion Mourgue (6 July 2020). "Remaniement : Jean Castex fera son discours de politique générale le 15 juillet". Le Figaro. Retrieved 11 July 2020.
12. Sarah Belouezzane, Franck Johannès & Sylvia Zappi (16 July 2020). "Déclaration de politique générale de Jean Castex : l'opposition " déçue " à gauche comme à droite". Le Monde. Retrieved 27 July 2020.
13. "Jean Castex obtient une large confiance de l'Assemblée nationale avec 345 votes favorables". France Info. 15 July 2020. Retrieved 27 July 2020.
14. Government of the French Republic (26 July 2020). "Decree on the composition of the Government". legifrance.gouv.fr (in French). Retrieved 27 July 2020.
15. "Revamped French government takes office, tasked with restoring coronavirus-hit economy". France 24. 7 July 2020. Retrieved 11 July 2020.
16. "Coronavirus, pension reform and more – what France's new PM has said so far". Euractiv. 9 July 2020. Retrieved 11 July 2020.

• French governments
• Cabinets established in 2020
• Presidency of Emmanuel Macron
• 2020 establishments in France