New French cabinet sheds critics and leaves austerity policies in place

Simon Tilford, an economist who is deputy director of the Centre for European Reform, a research institute in London, said that the latest French political crisis would invariably also diminish Mr. Hollande in Brussels in favor of Germany’s chancellor, Angela Merkel. It was her insistence on austerity that helped spur the divisions that led to the French crisis.

“In terms of the way Hollande is perceived abroad, this will reinforce the perception that he is a weak leader who is unable to marshal his troops effectively,” Mr. Tilford said.