French President Emmanuel Macron rearranged his Cabinet on Monday in an attempt to adjust to a new political reality following legislative elections in which his centrist alliance failed to win a majority in the parliament.
The latest government reshuffle comes six weeks after Macron appointed Elisabeth Borne to lead a new government coalition at the outset of the president's second term. It's partly a result of rules that Macron - and French presidents before him - had set ahead of the parliamentary vote: Only ministers who retain their seats will remain in government posts.
Three out of Macron's 15 ministers failed to be re-elected to the parliament in a two-round vote last month, and they were replaced on Monday. Christophe Bechu is the new environment minister and Francois Braun is in charge of health. Herve Berville is the secretary of state for the sea.
In addition, Damien Abad, the minister of policies for the disabled who is under investigation for rape and sexual misconduct, has been replaced by Jean-Christophe Combe, former director general of the French Red Cross.
The new cabinet is expected to hold its first meeting later on Monday.
Allegations of sexual misconduct against Abad emerged just days after Borne, only the second woman in French history to have been appointed prime minister, announced her new government on May 22 following Macron's re-election in April.
The allegations were particularly embarrassing for the new prime minister and the president, who both claim to be champions of women's rights and have pledged "zero tolerance" for sexual misconduct.
Two women claimed that Abad had assaulted them more than a decade ago. He has firmly denied the accusations and said such claims would be impossible, given his own disability, which affects the joints and the muscles.
Macron's Together! alliance won the most seats in the National Assembly in the election last month but fell 44 seats short of a majority in France's most powerful house of parliament as voters opted for the leftist Nupes coalition and the far-right National Rally of Marine Le Pen.
With the most seats at the National Assembly, his government still has the ability to rule, but only by bargaining with legislators. To prevent the deadlock, Macron's Renaissance party and allies may try to negotiate on a case-by-case basis with lawmakers from the center-left and from the conservative party.
Macron was re-elected president in April on an agenda including measures to boost purchasing power, tax cuts and raising the minimum retirement age from 62 to 65.
Last week, the National Assembly elected another Macron loyalist, Yael Braun-Pivet, as the new speaker - the first woman to hold the post. She was elected after her predecessor lost his seat in the parliament at the election.
