The Latest on new French President Emmanuel Macron's government (all times local):

French President Emmanuel Macron's first government of 18 Cabinet ministers includes a mix of experienced politicians and newcomers from civil society.

Half of the appointees announced Wednesday are men and half are women.

Prime Minister Edouard Philippe, whom Macron named on Monday, will lead the government, at least until the parliamentary elections scheduled for June.

Philippe and Macron chose experienced politicians from the left, the center and the right for the main positions.

Socialist Jean-Yves Le Drian (John-Eve Le DREE-on) was named foreign minister and prominent centrist Francois Bayrou (Frans-WA Bey-ROO) as justice minister.

Another centrist, Sylvie Goulard (Goo-LARR), will lead the Defense Ministry, while Socialist Gerard Collomb will head the Interior Ministry. High-profile conservative Bruno Le Maire (Le-mare) was the pick for the Finance Ministry.

Other positions were filled by ministers from civil society. Nicolas Hulot, the well-known host of a television show focusing on nature and the environment, was named minister for environment transition.

A high-profile conservative politician has been named as France's finance minister in President Emmanuel Macron's first government.

Bruno Le Maire (Le-mare) is a member of The Republicans party. The 48-year-old served as agriculture minister from 2009 to 2012 under former President Nicolas Sarkozy.

Alexis Kohler (Ko-LAIR), Macron's general secretary at the presidential Elysee Palace, made the announcement Wednesday.

His appointment in Macron's government is a signal to right-wing voters ahead of June parliamentary elections.

Gerard Collomb (Je-RAR Koll-OMB), a 69-year-old Socialist, was appointed interior minister. He has since 2001 been major of Lyon — France's third biggest city. He was the first major Socialist politician to decide to back Macron's presidential bid.

France's former defense minister has been named as foreign minister and centrist politician Sylvie Goulard (Goo-LARR) defense minister in French President Emmanuel Macron's first government.

Alexis Kohler, Macron's new general secretary at the presidential Elysee Palace, made the announcement Wednesday.

The 69-year-old Jean-Yves Le Drian (John-Eve Le DREE-on) was France's defense minister during the five-year term of former President Francois Hollande. He was one of the Socialist government's most popular ministers.

He supervised French military operations in Mali, Central African Republic, Iraq and Syria.

The 59-year-old Goulard, the new defense minister, is a pro-European centrist politician. She started her professional career at the French Foreign Affairs Ministry, where she was a member of the team that negotiated the consequences of Germany's reunification in 1989-1990.

She also worked as a political adviser to Italian politician Romano Prodi when he was president of the European Commission from 2001 to 2004.

She has been a member of the European Parliament since 2009.

9:54 a.m. French President Emmanuel Macron is meeting with the European Union president as both try to keep the bloc from falling apart.

Macron, who will also verify his choices for government ministers, is hosting Donald Tusk in the Elysee Palace in a sign of the new French president's determination to shore up European unity.

Macron wants European militaries to work together more, and for eurozone countries to share a budget and tax rules. He has also promised a tough line on Britain as it negotiates its departure from the EU.

Macron's office will announce the government lineup Wednesday afternoon, after a delay to dig deeper into proposed ministers' tax records and potential conflicts of interest. A series of tax evasion and other scandals hit the previous government. </s> PARIS, May 17 (Reuters) - Newly inaugurated centrist French president Emmanuel Macron chose his government on Wednesday, appointing a mix of political hues to the top jobs as part of his promise to bridge the right-left divide.

Having already made conservative Edouard Philippe, a member of The Republicans party, his prime minister earlier in the week, Macron picked Bruno Le Maire a pro-European, German-speaking rightist, also from The Republicans, as his economy minister.

As interior minister, he picked Gerard Collomb, the mayor of Lyon who was one of the first Socialists to be a vocal supporter of Macron.

Jean-Yves Le Drian, outgoing Socialist defence minister and a close friend of ex-President Francois Hollande, was named foreign minister and minister for Europe. </s> French President Emmanuel Macron has named a mix of prominent and unknown figures from the left and the right to make up the government tasked with pushing through his plans to reduce labour protections, tighten European unity and boost military spending.

The most senior Cabinet job — the post of interior minister — went to Gerard Collomb, 69, the Socialist mayor of Lyon who played a key role in Mr Macron's presidential bid. The Interior Ministry is responsible for securing France amid a high threat of extremist violence.

Jean-Yves Le Drian, 69, who led France's military operations abroad as former President Francois Hollande's defence minister, will stay on in Mr Macron's government as foreign minister. Le Drian, also a Socialist, has been largely popular and brings deep experience that could prove valuable to the untested 39-year-old president.

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The armed forces will now be led by Sylvie Goulard, 59, the most senior woman in the government. Goulard is a European Parliament member and strongly pro-European centrist politician who will champion Macron's push for joint European military operations.

The crucial Economy Ministry will be run by prominent conservative Bruno Le Maire, 48, an important gesture to the right-wing Republicans party ahead of parliamentary elections next month.

The government includes 18 ministers, half of them women and half men. Center-right Prime Minister Edouard Philippe, whom Mr Macron tapped named Monday, is to lead the government at least until the elections.

Other positions were filled by ministers from civil society. Nicolas Hulot, the well-known host of a television show focusing on nature and the environment, was named minister for environment transition.

Four junior ministers also were named Wednesday, making the total number of Cabinet posts smaller by one-third than under Mr Hollande.

The announcement initially planned for Tuesday was pushed back a day while authorities dug more deeply into candidates' tax records and financial assets for signs of potential conflicts of interest.

Mr Macron has pledged to fight corruption after tax evasion and other scandals hit the previous government.

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Later Wednesday, Mr Macron will host European Council President Donald Tusk at the Elysee Palace for a private dinner. It's a sign of the new French president's determination to shore up European unity. The two are expected to discuss security and migration, according to Mr Macron's office.

Mr Macron wants European militaries to join efforts and for eurozone countries to share a budget and tax rules.

He has also promised a tough line on Britain as it negotiates its departure from the EU, to deter others from trying to leave after debt and migration crises that have eroded public support for the bloc.

Mr Macron is expected to visit French troops in Africa later this week. He has already met with German Chancellor Angela Merkel — his main European partner — U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, and International Olympic Committee members.

Associated Press </s> Bruno Le Maire named France's finance minister, Gerard Collomb becomes interior minister in Macron's first government. </s> Jean-Yves Le Drian will become foreign minister in French president's new government; defense minister is Sylvie Goulard. </s> French President Emmanuel Macron's first government of 18 Cabinet ministers includes a mix of experienced politicians and newcomers from civil society.

Half of the appointees announced on Wednesday are men and half are women.

Prime Minister Edouard Philippe, whom President Macron named on Monday, will lead the government, at least until the parliamentary elections scheduled for June.

Mr Philippe and Mr Macron chose experienced politicians from the left, the centre and the right for the main positions.

Socialist Jean-Yves Le Drian was named foreign minister and prominent centrist Francois Bayrou as justice minister.

Another centrist, Sylvie Goulard will lead the Defence Ministry, while Socialist Gerard Collomb will head the Interior Ministry.

High-profile conservative Bruno Le Maire was the pick for the Finance Ministry.

Other positions were filled by ministers from civil society.

Nicolas Hulot, the well-known host of a television show focusing on nature and the environment, was named minister for environment transition. </s> Emmanuel Macron names new French government, mixing left and right, men and women

France's centrist President Emmanuel Macron has named his government, appointing a mix of people from different political persuasions to the top jobs as part of his promise to bridge the right-left divide.

Mr Macron had promised to include figures from civil society in his Government.

To that end, Nicolas Hulot, a well-known environmentalist, was named as Ecology Minister.

Also, an Olympic fencer, Laura Flessel, was named Minister for Sport, a publisher, Francoise Nyssen, will be Minister for Culture and a medical professor, Agnes Buzyn, is now Health Minister.

There are 22 cabinet members and in keeping with his promise of gender balance, Mr Macron named 11 men and 11 women.

Having already made conservative Edouard Philippe his Prime Minister earlier in the week, Mr Macron's pick for Economy Minister was Bruno Le Maire a pro-European, German-speaking rightist from Mr Philippe's The Republicans (LR) party.

Mr Le Maire is a free-marketeer and a heavyweight in the LR party, which he has urged to cooperate with the 39-year-old President while others refuse such an alliance.

For Interior Minister, Mr Macron picked Gerard Collomb, the mayor of Lyon who was one of the first Socialists to support him.

Jean-Yves Le Drian, outgoing Socialist Defence Minister and a close friend of ex-President Francois Hollande, was named Foreign Minister and Minister for Europe.

"He's very serious and well-liked but doesn't know that much about foreign affairs."

The Foreign Ministry portfolio does not usually officially include Europe.

In another nod to the importance of Europe for Mr Macron, Sylvie Goulard, a centrist politician in the European Parliament who speaks four languages and is better known in Brussels than in Paris, was named Defence Minister.

The government appointments are part of a delicate balancing act Mr Macron has to perform ahead of the mid-June legislative elections.

By becoming President with no established party backing he has already thrown traditional party loyalties into the air, and early poll predictions show his start-up Republic on the Move (REM) party will have more lower house seats than any other.

To make sure he ends up with a workable majority, surrounding himself with people tempted away from both sides of the political divide broadens his support and weakens the main traditional parties, LR and the Socialists.

By doing so, though, he could also be increasing the risk of dissent in future.

"They're trying to make a consensus government in order to get things done, so for the moment I'll give Macron the benefit of the doubt," said Clairinvest fund manager Ion-Marc Valahu. </s> PARIS (AP) - French President Emmanuel Macron has gathered his newly-named government for his first Cabinet meeting - an assembly that looks significantly different than its predecessors.

The government, appointed on Wednesday, is a mix of 22 prominent and unknown figures from the left and the right, half of them women.

They arrived smiling Thursday, briefly posing for photographs on the front porch of the presidential Elysee Palace in Paris.

New French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves le Drian, right, and new Deputy Minister in charge of European Affairs Marielle de Sarnez arrive for the first weekly cabinet meeting under new French President Emmanuel Macron, Thursday, May 18, 2017 at the Elysee Palace in Paris. Macron named a mix of prominent and unknown figures from the left and the right to make up the government. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena)

The most senior Cabinet job, interior minister, went to Gerard Collomb, 69, long-time Socialist mayor of Lyon who played a key role in Macron's presidential bid.

Jean-Yves Le Drian, 69, former defense minister under former President Francois Hollande, stays on in Macron's government as foreign minister and Europe minister.

The armed forces are now led by centrist, pro-European Sylvie Goulard, 52.

New Sports Minister Laura Flessel arrives for the first weekly cabinet meeting under new French President Emmanuel Macron, Thursday, May 18, 2017 at the Elysee Palace in Paris. Macron named a mix of prominent and unknown figures from the left and the right to make up the government. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena)

New French Interior Minister Gerard Collomb arrives for the first weekly cabinet meeting under new French President Emmanuel Macron, Thursday, May 18, 2017 at the Elysee Palace in Paris. Macron named a mix of prominent and unknown figures from the left and the right to make up the government. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena)

French President, Emmanuel Macron, 2nd right, attends a cabinet meeting with Justice minister Francois Bayrou, right, Foreign Affairs minister Jean-Yves Le Drian, center, Economy minister Bruno Le Maire and Budget minister Gerald Darmanin at the Elysee Palacein Paris, France, Thursday, May 18, 2017. French President Emmanuel Macron named a mix of prominent and unknown figures from the left and the right Wednesday to make up the government tasked with pushing through his plans to reduce labor protections, tighten European unity and boost military spending. (AP Photo/Francois Mori, Pool) </s> French prime minister Edouard Philippe has assumed responsibility for France’s domestic security after the interior minister resigned in an apparent act of defiance towards President Emmanuel Macron.

French prime minister Edouard Philippe has assumed responsibility for France’s domestic security after the interior minister resigned in an apparent act of defiance towards President Emmanuel Macron.

In a cold handover ceremony, Mr Philippe said his main focus would be to ensure “the highest security level” in the country.

Mr Philippe is in charge until Gerard Collomb’s successor is appointed.

Mr Macron accepted Mr Collomb’s resignation late on Tuesday, after initially refusing it the previous day.

Mr Collomb insisted he wanted to leave to be able to run for mayor of the city of Lyon in 2020.

The 71-year-old was one of Mr Macron’s closest political allies.

His decision comes amid a string of bad news events for the French president, who has reached record low popularity in polls since his election in May 2017.
President of France Emmanuel Macron nominates the full Édouard Philippe government. Jean-Yves Le Drian becomes foreign minister, Sylvie Goulard defence minister, Bruno Le Maire minister of economy, and Gérard Collomb minister of the interior.