Eighteen days after the fall of Michel Barnier's government, censured by the National Assembly on December 5, the Élysée revealed the composition of the new executive on Monday evening. Shortly after 18:30 p.m., Alexis Kohler, Secretary General of the Élysée, announced the list of 35 ministers who will make up this government led by François Bayrou. The latter had been appointed Prime Minister on December 13 by the President of the Republic.
This reshuffle marks a turning point in French political life, following weeks of tensions between the executive and the legislature. François Bayrou now inherits the responsibility of leading this government in a context of high expectations and major challenges.
Composition of the Bayrou government
- Francois Bayrou, Prime Minister
- Patrick MIGNOLA, Minister Delegate for Relations with Parliament
- Aurore BERGÉ, Minister Delegate for Equality between Women and Men and the Fight against Discrimination
- Sophie PRIMAS, Minister Delegate, Government Spokesperson
- François REBSAMEN, Minister of Regional Planning and Decentralization
- Valerie LETAR, Minister responsible for Housing
- Philippe TABAROT, Minister responsible for Transport
- Françoise GATEL, Minister Delegate for Rural Affairs
- Juliette MEADEL, Minister Delegate for the City
- Agnès PANNIER-RUNACHER, Minister of Ecological Transition, Biodiversity, Forests, the Sea and Fisheries
- Catherine VAUTRIN, Minister of Labor, Health, Solidarity and Families
- Astrid PANOSYAN-BOUVET, Minister responsible for Labor and Employment
- Yannick NEUDER, Minister responsible for Health and Access to Healthcare
- Charlotte PARMENTIER-LECOCQ, Minister Delegate for Autonomy and Disability
- Eric LOMBARD, Minister of Economy, Finance and Industrial and Digital Sovereignty
- Amélie DE MONTCHALIN, Minister responsible for Public Accounts
- Marc FERRACCI, Minister responsible for Industry and Energy
- Veronique LOUWAGIE, Minister Delegate for Trade, Crafts, SMEs and the Social and Solidarity Economy
- Clara CHAPPAZ, Minister Delegate for Artificial Intelligence and Digital Technology
- Nathalie DELATTRE, Minister Delegate for Tourism
- Rachida DATI, Minister of Culture
- Elisabeth BORNE, Minister of State, Minister of National Education, Higher Education, Research
- Philippe BAPTISTE, Minister Delegate for Higher Education and Research
- VALLS Manual, Minister of State, Minister of Overseas Territories
- Gérald DARMANIN, Minister of State, Minister of Justice
- Bruno RETAILLEAU, Minister of State, Minister of the Interior
- François-Noël BUFFET, Minister Delegate
- Sébastien LECORNU, Minister of the Armed Forces
- Patricia MIRALLES, Minister Delegate for Remembrance and Veterans
- Jean-Noël BARROT, Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs
- Benjamin HADDAD, Minister Delegate for Europe
- Laurent SAINT-MARTIN, Minister Delegate for Foreign Trade and French People Abroad
- Thani MOHAMED SOILIHI, Minister Delegate for Francophonie and International Partnerships
- Annie GENEVARD, Minister of Agriculture and Food Sovereignty
- Laurent MARCANGELI, Minister of Public Action, Civil Service and Simplification
- Marie BARSACQ, Minister of Sports, Youth and Community Life
First reactions from the main players in the construction industry
For the FFB: no more time to waste, we must confirm the priority given to housing!
The FFB takes note of the composition of the government and welcomes the retention of Valérie Létard in Housing as well as the arrival of Véronique Louwagie in charge of crafts and SMEs, two interlocutors who listen to the construction industry.
With the appointment of François Rebsamen, Minister of Local Authorities and Planning, the FFB will remain vigilant on the necessary cohesion of policies in favor of the territories.
The measures to be taken in terms of housing are known and the regrets expressed by the Prime Minister on the PTZ must now find their full concretization in a PLF to be acted upon very quickly. The appointment of Eric Lombard, an expert in economic and financial matters, should allow for rapid progress on the budget.
The FFB will continue the discussions initiated with Catherine Vautrin on the subject of employment, training and apprenticeships, essential subjects for the sector.
Furthermore, with the appointment of Manuel Valls as full minister responsible for Overseas Territories, the FFB welcomes the strong signal sent to these territories. The urgency concerning Mayotte, the reconstruction in New Caledonia and the response to the diversity of issues must be priorities.
Olivier Salleron, president of the FFB, asks that "The new government is urgently committed to taking decisive measures to combat the violent construction crisis that is endangering France and public finances. Given their experience and expertise, the ministers now appointed must provide a budget that meets expectations in all regions in terms of housing."
For CAPEB: exasperated, building tradespeople demand the promised emergency measures
CAPEB acknowledges and congratulates Valérie Létard on her appointment as Minister responsible for housing. CAPEB nevertheless deplores the abolition of the full ministry that housing had obtained last September and questions the importance that the government gives to this issue, but does not doubt the renewed commitment of Valérie Létard alongside François Rebsamen, Minister of Regional Planning.
Faced with the difficult situation of small craft businesses in the construction sector, which have been in decline for five consecutive quarters, CAPEB insists on the need to make housing a priority and to translate this priority into concrete actions to support the 620.000 small craft businesses, representing 97% of the construction sector.
In 2024, the activity of craft businesses has declined again, recording a 5% drop in the last quarter. This continued decline is worrying for their activity, but also for our territories in view of the crucial role they play there. Each year, they train 60.000 apprentices, welcome 115.000 trainees and preserve 520.000 jobs. They generate 40% of the construction industry's turnover and carry out 50% of maintenance and improvement work, actively contributing to the energy transition and the adaptation of housing to society's new expectations. This assessment should lead to better consideration of their needs to support their activity and boost the territories.
However, for the past six months, they have been suffering the full brunt of political instability and the lack of visibility that this instability engenders, exacerbating their exasperation. Although the extension in 2025 of the measures to simplify the MaPrimeRénov' gesture process was snatched up a few hours before the resignation of the Barnier government, the measures that building tradespeople have requested, which have been the subject of favorable arbitrations since the spring and which are now awaiting legislative or regulatory translation, remain a dead letter.
This is why, since mid-December, the CAPEB network has launched a shock action: We take responsibility, and you? ", in order to remind political leaders that they have a responsibility to act without further delay in a context where building tradespeople continue, as best they can, to assume their role in the territories and where the proposals that CAPEB is putting forward on their behalf stand out for their exemplary nature: concrete, they do not weigh down the nation's budget, generate new tax revenues through the activity they create and serve the general interest.
CAPEB calls for:
On the adoption of a revised 2025 finance bill and a revised 2025 social security financing bill that respects very small businesses in the construction industry:
- Apprenticeship: it is essential to protect apprentices' income to attract new talent to the sector. Support for hiring apprentices must be reserved for companies with fewer than 50 employees, regardless of their level of qualification, thereby saving more than €1,5 billion, and social security contribution exemptions for apprentices must be maintained at their current level.
- MaPrimeRénov' and energy renovation: it is crucial to maintain the MaPrimeRénov' budget to support the energy renovation activity of buildings and to stabilize taxation on very high energy performance heating equipment.
To the regulatory or legislative translation of the following measures:
- Simplify RGE qualification and its access for craft businesses.
- Simplify renovation processes for individuals and professionals as part of MaPrimeRénov'.
- Facilitate joint work between craft businesses through temporary business groupings.
- Strengthen the fight against fraud in aid for the renovation and adaptation of housing by regulating the use of subcontracting.
The details of all CAPEB proposals are available here.
CAPEB also welcomes the appointment of Astrid Panosyan-Bouvet as Minister Delegate for Labour and Employment. We know the consideration she has for VSEs in view of the key economic and societal role they play and we call for a reform of the rules of social dialogue so that their voice is finally heard at its true value.
CAPEB is ready to work as soon as possible with Eric Lombard, Minister of the Economy, in view of the economic difficulties that the building crafts sector is going through, with Véronique Louwagie, Minister Delegate for Trade, Crafts, SMEs and the Social and Solidarity Economy, as well as Françoise Gatel, Minister Delegate for Rural Affairs, to take into account the importance of VSEs for our economy and our society. Finally, CAPEB hopes to meet as soon as possible with Manuel Valls, Minister for Overseas Territories, to structure the building crafts sector in Mayotte and take up the challenge of rebuilding the island.
"The latest figures on the sector's activity, which will be published on January 15 at a press conference, should confirm the downward trend. This reinforces the urgency of acting now to clarify the course to follow and meet the expectations of craft construction companies and individuals. CAPEB calls on the government to be responsible and asks it to take concrete and immediate measures to guarantee the sustainability of these companies, which are real drivers of dynamism and employment in our regions." Jean-Christophe Repon, president of CAPEB.
For the Union of Self-Employed and Very Small Enterprises (SDI): get to work urgently!
Marc Sanchez, Secretary General of SDI and VSEs: "The political paralysis resulting from the dissolution of the National Assembly is having a heavy impact on our economy: falling consumption, waves of social plans, downgrading of sovereign debt and downward revision of growth forecasts.
The government must act urgently to restore prospects for businesses, while respecting a clear red line: no increase in compulsory deductions. The reform of working hours is a necessary way to combine competitiveness, increased purchasing power and social revenues.
The SDI will quickly ask the Prime Minister and his ministers to present its proposals and the results of the “2024 SME Review” survey, to be published in January.
Illustrative image of the article via Depositphotos.com.