President François Hollande showed an unexpectedly ruthless streak yesterday by shaping a gender-balanced French government from which several friends, and one notable foe, were excluded.
The most notable casualty was the Socialist party leader and mayor of Lille, Martine Aubry, who will take no part in the government which takes office today. Ms Aubry, 60, an acrimonious rival to Mr Hollande within the party for more than two decades, had been tipped as a possible prime minister.
For the original article, published on 17 May 2012, see The Independent.
President François Hollande showed an unexpectedly ruthless streak yesterday by shaping a gender-balanced French government from which several friends, and one notable foe, were excluded.
The most notable casualty was the Socialist party leader and mayor of Lille, Martine Aubry, who will take no part in the government which takes office today. Ms Aubry, 60, an acrimonious rival to Mr Hollande within the party for more than two decades, had been tipped as a possible prime minister.
For the original article, published on 17 May 2012, see The Independent.