The Élysée Palace yesterday announced the composition of a streamlined French government which is meant to give a "new impetus" to the country following the rejection of the European constitutional treaty.
The number of ministers has dropped from 40 to 31, but the opposition was quick to seize on the fact that two-thirds were members of the previous government.
Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin spent four hours and 40 minutes with President Jacques Chirac yesterday going over final details of the government, a sign that their father-son like relationship means closer involvement by Mr Chirac in the day-to-day running of the country.
Tension persists between Mr Sarkozy and Mr Chirac. Asked last night on French television how he is getting along with the president, Mr Sarkozy said: "I'm a free man. If I don't agree, I say so. It's honest to say so. In public life, people lack authenticity."
Most of the cabinet are Chirac loyalists. The deputy prime minister and interior minister Nicolas Sarkozy fought to obtain portfolios for two of his close allies under the aegis of his ministry, which the Chirac camp is calling "the bunker" or "the Alamo".
An opinion poll published by Le Monde shows that 56 per cent of French people approve of Mr Sarkozy's appointment as interior minister. Only 36 per cent approve of Mr de Villepin as prime minister.
Mr Sarkozy enjoys broad support among centre-right deputies in the National Assembly. The deputies distrust Mr de Villepin because he has never been elected, and has shown disdain for them in the past.
Mr de Villepin says he wants to reconcile solidarity and economic freedom in his government. For this purpose, Jean-Louis Borloo remains at social affairs and the former France Télécom chairman Thierry Breton at the ministry of finance. Michèle Alliot-Marie, a failed hopeful for the prime minister's job, keeps the defence ministry and becomes number three in the government. The ministers of agriculture, culture and sport remain unchanged.
The foreign minister Michel Barnier has been unceremoniously dropped, to be replaced by the equally bland Philippe Douste-Blazy, a Chirac loyalist who was minister for health in the previous government.
Catherine Colonna was a wise choice for European Affairs, which falls under the foreign ministry. As spokeswoman for the Élysée for nine years, Ms Colonna was appreciated for her in-depth knowledge, frankness and efficiency.
Mr de Villepin's first outing as prime minister was to an unemployment office in the Seine-et-Marne department outside Paris.