BAKU, Azerbaijan, September 23. The Paris-based online newspaper La Gazette du Caucase has released an article calling the new French Cabinet of Ministers headed by Prime Minister Michel Barnier the most Azerbaijanophobic government in 15 years, TurkicWorld reports.
"Unlike Western democracies, where the executive branch is formed based on coalition agreements, in France the government is created more from political or personal preferences rather than a coordinated action plan. As for the Caucasus, there is enough reason for concern. If there was hope that reason would prevail over the anti-Azerbaijani hysteria of the previous government, we are now far from that," the article authors said.
Two ministers of Armenian origin have joined the new government.
"This in itself wouldn’t raise questions if they hadn’t previously carried out various anti-Azerbaijani campaigns and unconditionally supported the Karabakh separatists," the article emphasized.
Astrid Panosyan-Bouvet, appointed Minister of Labor and Employment, actively supported a resolution demanding the cessation of Azerbaijan's so-called "aggression" and also led a delegation of French politicians to Armenia. Guillaume Kasbarian, the new Minister of Civil Service, also signed an anti-Azerbaijani resolution.
The new ministers include Bruno Retailleau, appointed as Interior Minister, who is known for his ultra-conservative views and supports the idea of a civilizational war between Muslims and Armenians. He criticized the international community for its insufficient support of Armenia.
"Other members of the government, such as Minister of the Armed Forces Sébastien Lecornu and Minister of Justice Didier Migaud, also have a history of actively supporting Armenian interests. Most of the new ministers, including Antoine Armand and Anne Genetet, signed a resolution against Azerbaijan in 2022. The exception is Rachida Dati, reappointed as Minister of Culture, who will have to show courage to avoid censorship when mentioning Azerbaijan's cultural heritage," the article added.
