Sarkozy appoints new cabinet in marathon weekend reshuffle

NICOLAS SARKOZY appointed a new government in a marathon weekend reshuffle with faithful allies taking top posts clearly aimed at pleasing his conservative ranks before France’s 2012 presidential election.

Once-disgraced former prime minister Alain Juppe, the mayor of Bordeaux, was put in charge of the Defence Ministry and given the number two spot behind prime minister Francois Fillon, who retained his job after submitting his resignation on Saturday night.

Yesterday’s appointment positions Juppe, a long-time standard bearer of the conservatives, for a political renaissance.

The biggest victim was the outreach effort President Sarkozy prided himself in when he took office in May 2007, bringing together leftists, centrists and figures representing diversity in an unusual governing coalition.

The Foreign Ministry went to Michele Alliot-Marie, the former justice minister. She replaced left-winger Bernard Kouchner, long known to be on his way out. Alliot-Marie was replaced in the Justice Ministry by Michel Mercier, one of two centrists remaining in a government streamlined from 37 to 30 ministers and bolstered by right-wingers.

Christine Lagarde kept the critical economy post, an appointment sure to relieve markets and please other G20 members just as France takes over the reins of the group.