After weeks of negotiations, France has a new government dominated by conservative right-wing figures.
Its line-up has triggered an avalanche of criticism both from the left and the far-right, which have described it as a continuation of President Emmanuel Macron's policies despite his bloc losing the latest parliamentary elections.
The most divisive new face is that of Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau, 63, whose hardline position against immigration has reportedly caused unease even among Mr Macron's allies. Mr Retailleau, the current head of the right-wing The Republicans (LR) in the upper house Senate, is known for “order”, “authority” and “firmness”.
Mr Retailleau is also rumoured to have been chosen because he has no presidential ambitions for 2027 and is unlikely to use his new ministerial role as a launch pad for a campaign against whoever will become Mr Macron's political heir.
The same can be said of the new Foreign Affairs Minister, Jean-Noel Barrot, a relatively unknown figure who is expected to let Mr Macron continue steering foreign policy. While Mr Barrot is a centrist, other right-wing conservative figures include Education Minister Patrick Hetzel and Laurence Garnier, secretary of state in charge of consumption.
The new government, announced on Saturday, has been described as “having no future” by far-right leader Jordan Bardella, while leftist politician Jean-Luc Melenchon said it was a cabinet “of losers … in the hands of the worrying Minister of the Interior”.
With only 47 MPs out of 577, LR fared poorly in the election and came behind a left-wing coalition, Mr Macron's centrist group and the far-right. This did not stop Mr Macron from choosing a historic LR figure, Michel Barnier, 73, as Prime Minister – the argument at the Elysee Palace was that stability was the most important criteria and that a left-wing government would have been immediately toppled. With no majority backing it, the new government is widely viewed as one of the most fragile in decades.
Originally from the Vendee region, where he keeps chickens, sheep and a donkey, Mr Retailleau's political career was launched thanks to his heavy involvement in the local Puy du Fou theme park, one of the most popular in France. An avid horseback rider, he was spotted as a young man among the many volunteers who participate in lavish re-enactments of French history by the park's founder, Philippe de Villiers, an ultranationalist politician. The park has been described by its critics as an ideological weapon of pro-monarchy conservatives due to its loose rewriting of history.
An actress in the role of Joan of Arc performs during a ceremony as part of a presentation of a 15th-century ring believed to have been owned by the French heroine at the Puy du Fou historical theme park in Les Epesses, in 2016. AFP
Mr Retailleau's relationship with Mr de Villiers, who supported him in his successful campaign to become a politician at the age 33, has since soured and he left his political party in 2010 to join LR. A self-professed practising Catholic in a country where more than half the population says it is not religious, Mr Retailleau became the figurehead of LR's conservative wing and unsuccessfully campaigned against the legalisation of gay marriage and making abortion a constitutional right.
He was accused of racism by other politicians after he described the riots that spread in poor suburbs in July last year as a “sort of regression to ethnic origins” in an apparent reference to the North African and immigrant background of rioters. He repeated his comments despite criticism, saying that “falling back on one's origins, whether they are ethnic, religious or social,” is a “regression in relation to the universalist project of the [French] Republic, which promotes the transcendence of origins in favour of a single national community.”
Mr Retailleau has, for years, defended measures that go against the French constitution and are also supported by the far-right, including barring foreigners from access to social benefits and the obligation to file an asylum request at a consulate abroad and not on French territory, according to Le Monde.
However, he refused to follow LR's president Eric Ciotti when he rallied far-right politician Marine Le Pen before the July election, describing such a move as a “betrayal.” Traditional political parties normally shy away from alliances with the far-right due to its controversial anti-Semitic past, but its efforts to modernise its image and surging popularity have weakened such positions.
This combination of files photographs created on September 21, 2024 shows newly-appointed members of the cabinet of French Prime Minister Michel Barnier (top left) after its announcement (From top 1st row-top-from left) Justice Minister Didier Migaud; Minister for regional partnership and decentralisation, Catherine Vautrin; Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau; Education Minister Anne Genetet and Foreign and European Affairs Minister Jean-Noel Barrot. (2nd row-from left) Minister of Solidarity, Autonomy and Gender Equality Paul Christophe; Minister of housing and urban renewal Valerie Letard; Culture Minister Rachida Dati; Minister for the Armed Forces Sebastien Lecornu; Minister for Ecological Transition, Energy, Climate and risk prevention Agnes Pannier-Runacher; Minister for Economy, Finance and Industry Antoine Armand; Minister for Health and access to care Genevieve Darrieussecq. (Bottom row-from left) Minister of Agriculture, food sovereignty and forestry Annie Genevard; Minister of labour and employment Astrid Panosyan-Bouvet; Minister of sports, youth and associations Gil Averous; Higher Education and Research Minister Patrick Hetzel; Minister for the civil service, simplification and transformation of public action Guillaume Kasbarian; Minister attached to the Prime Minister, responsible for Overseas Francois-Noel Buffet; Minister attached to the Prime Minister, responsible for the budget and public accounts Laurent Saint-Martin. AFP
Engine: 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbocharged and three electric motors
Power: Combined output 920hp
Torque: 730Nm at 4,000-7,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch automatic
Fuel consumption: 11.2L/100km
On sale: Now, deliveries expected later in 2025
Price: expected to start at Dh1,432,000
Tank warfare
Lt Gen Erik Petersen, deputy chief of programs, US Army, has argued it took a “three decade holiday” on modernising tanks.
“There clearly remains a significant armoured heavy ground manoeuvre threat in this world and maintaining a world class armoured force is absolutely vital,” the general said in London last week.
“We are developing next generation capabilities to compete with and deter adversaries to prevent opportunism or miscalculation, and, if necessary, defeat any foe decisively.”
The Al Ghaf tree is a local desert tree which bears the harsh summers with drought and high temperatures. From the rich flowers, bees that pollinate this tree can produce delicious red colour honey in June and July each year
Sidr Honey
The Sidr tree is an evergreen tree with long and strong forked branches. The blossom from this tree is called Yabyab, which provides rich food for bees to produce honey in October and November. This honey is the most expensive, but tastiest
Samar Honey
The Samar tree trunk, leaves and blossom contains Barm which is the secret of healing. You can enjoy the best types of honey from this tree every year in May and June. It is an historical witness to the life of the Emirati nation which represents the harsh desert and mountain environments
'Moonshot'
Director: Chris Winterbauer
Stars: Lana Condor and Cole Sprouse
Rating: 3/5
WOMAN AND CHILD
Director: Saeed Roustaee
Starring: Parinaz Izadyar, Payman Maadi
Rating: 4/5
The Year Earth Changed
Directed by:Tom Beard
Narrated by: Sir David Attenborough
Stars: 4
RESULTS
ATP China Open
G Dimitrov (BUL x3) bt R Bautista Agut (ESP x5)
7-6, 4-6, 6-2
R Nadal (ESP x1) bt J Isner (USA x6)
6-4, 7-6
WTA China Open
S Halep (ROU x2) bt D Kasatkina (RUS)
6-2, 6-1
J Ostapenko (LAT x9) bt S Cirstea (ROU)
6-4, 6-4
ATP Japan Open
D Schwartzman (ARG x8) bt S Johnson (USA)
6-0, 7-5
D Goffin (BEL x4) bt R Gasquet (FRA)
7-5, 6-2
M Cilic (CRO x1) bt R Harrison (USA)
6-2, 6-0
Key facilities
Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
Premier League-standard football pitch
400m Olympic running track
NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
600-seat auditorium
Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
Specialist robotics and science laboratories
AR and VR-enabled learning centres
Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Emergency phone numbers in the UAE
Estijaba – 8001717 – number to call to request coronavirus testing
Ministry of Health and Prevention – 80011111
Dubai Health Authority – 800342 – The number to book a free video or voice consultation with a doctor or connect to a local health centre
Emirates airline – 600555555
Etihad Airways – 600555666
Ambulance – 998
Knowledge and Human Development Authority – 8005432 ext. 4 for Covid-19 queries
Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.
“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.
“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”
If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday.
Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow.
She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.
A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.
SPECS
Mini John Cooper Works Clubman and Mini John Cooper Works Countryman
