Three Armenian ministers In new French government

· September 23, 2024

Paris — The staff of French President Emmanuel Macron announced the composition of the new government, among them are three Armenian ministers.

Astrid Panosyan-Bouvey was appointed the Minister of Labor and Employment, Guillaume Kasparian the Minister of Civil Service, Simplification and Transformation of State Activities, and Antoine Armand the Minister of Economy, Finance and Industry.

Astrid Panosyan-Bouvey, 53, is the daughter of an Armenian father and Norwegian mother. She is a graduate of Harvard University. She served as a member of the French Parliament.

Guillaume Kasbarian, born in 1987 in Marseille, France, was a member of the French Parliament. He has held that position since 2017. He was an active supporter of housing reform and minority rights. Kasbarian is in active contact with the Armenian community. He is the son of two civil servants of Armenian descent.

At 33, Antoine Armand is one of the youngest to hold the key position of finance minister. Working in the field of economics and finance, he previously served as the chairman of the Economic Affairs Committee of the National Assembly. He has a master’s degree in international relations from Sorbonne. He wrote his thesis on “The German Responsibility for the Armenian Genocide.”

All three ministers are members of President Macron’s party.

In addition, France has a new foreign minister, Jean-Noel Barot, and Sébastien Lecorne will continue to hold the position of Minister of Armed Forces and Veterans Affairs.

Bruno Retaglio will head the Ministry of Internal Affairs. He visited Armenia and Artsakh with the Prime Minister of France. Due to their positions and visits on Armenian issues, both Retailo and the French Prime Minister are considered persona non grata in Azerbaijan.