A mould-breaking cabinet? Changes and continuities in the formation of the 2017 French government

Abstract

Emmanuel Macron’s election as President of the Republic and the formation of a government that includes a mix of politicians from parties on the left and right of the political spectrum, as well as a significant share of non-partisan ministers, has been hailed by numerous commentators as an unprecedented overhaul of France’s political life. This article examines how the two cabinets formed under prime minister Édouard Philippe in the shadow of the 2017 presidential and parliamentary elections compare to previous governments in the Fifth Republic. The analysis reveals a less than revolutionary break with previous patterns of government size, channels of ministerial recruitment, portfolio allocation, gender balance, and ethnic diversity.