France PM proposes new foreign, interior ministers in cabinet revamp

France's Prime Minister Michel Barnier on Thursday sought to end months of political deadlock by submitting a proposed new cabinet to President Emmanuel Macron, featuring new faces in most of the key offices of state.

While there appeared to be no major surprise or big name entrants into the cabinet, it seemed to mark a tilt to the right from the previous more centrist government.

Barnier is proposing Europe Minister Jean-Noel Barrot as foreign minister, a source close to Macron's political faction, asking not to be named, told AFP.

The move would be a major promotion for the 41-year-old, whose slick media appearances have impressed observers, but he would face the challenge of boosting France's presence on the international stage.

Meanwhile Bruno Retailleau, who heads the faction of the right-wing The Republicans (LR) in France's upper house Senate, is to take on the interior ministry, according to several sources who spoke to AFP.

Landing the interior ministry, which oversees the police and domestic security, would be seen as a major success for the right.

One key person said to be staying on is Defence Minister Sebastien Lecornu who is believed to enjoy a close and trusting relationship with Macron.

Barnier was at the Elysee Palace late Thursday to discuss the nominations with Macron. The meeting ended at around 8:45 pm (1845 GMT), according to an AFP reporter on site.

It was not immediately clear when the full list would be officially announced to the public, although early Friday appeared likely.

The list is a government "ready to act in the service of the French people", the premier's office said.

Macron could seek to veto Barnier's proposals but doing so would cause immense tensions with his premier at this stage.

- 'Very serious' -

France has been gripped by political deadlock, through the Olympic Games and beyond, since July snap legislative elections left it with a hung parliament.

Barnier, the European Union's former top Brexit negotiator and a right-winger, was appointed earlier this month by Macron in an attempt to breach the impasse.

After two weeks of consultations, advisors said earlier Thursday that he was in the "home stretch" of his quest to form a new cabinet.

Key posts were vacant with Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire stepping down after occupying his post since Macron came to power in 2017 and Foreign Minister Stephane Sejourne tapped by Macron to be France's new EU commissioner.

Barnier told right-wing and centrist groups at a meeting on Thursday afternoon that he was pondering a line-up of 16 main ministers including both their political families, politicians who were debriefed told AFP.

Gabriel Attal, his predecessor and now leader in parliament of Macron's Renaissance party, was at the meeting and told allies that the list included 10 names from their centrist alliance.

The 73-year-old prime minister has faced a raft of challenges since taking office.

Reports have emerged of a tense lunch between him and Macron on Tuesday, and a second meeting on Wednesday.

The prime minister had warned on Wednesday that France's budgetary situation was "very serious".

France was placed on a formal procedure for violating EU budgetary rules before Barnier was picked as head of government.

The Bank of France warned this week that a projected return to EU deficit rules by 2027 was "not realistic".

Macron had hoped to reassert his relative majority in parliament by calling for the elections in late June and early July, but the plan backfired.

A left-wing alliance nabbed the most seats in the lower house National Assembly, but does not have a working majority.

Macron's centrist faction is now the second largest bloc.

The far right is third, but the anti-immigration National Rally emerged from the election as the single largest party.

Before appointing Barnier, Macron had rejected the left-wing alliance's proposed candidate for prime minister, Lucie Castets.

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