(3 Jun 2005)
1. Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin arriving, entering Elysee
2. Interior minister Nicolas Sarkozy (in the middle) arriving, entering Elysee
3. Foreign minister Philippe Douste-Blazy arriving, entering Elysee
4. Minister of European Affairs Catherine Colonna arriving, entering Elysee
5. Defence minister Michele Alliot-Marie arriving, entering Elysee
6. Finance minister Thierry Breton (on left of screen) and Jean-Francois Cope, deputy minister in charge of the budget arriving, entering Elysee
7. President Jacques Chirac and Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin inside Elysee walking down stairs, entering room
8. Various round table shots of first cabinet meeting after reshuffle
9. President Jacques Chirac and Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin walking, joining ministers for the photo op
10. Various of family photo
11. Ministers leaving
12. Sarkozy, surrounded by press, leaving Elysee, refusing to comment
13. De Villepin, surrounded by press, leaving Elysee
14. SOUNDBITE: (French) Dominique de Villepin, prime minister:
"Everything went well. I can tell you that this government is already at work and mobilised to serve the French people."
17. De Villepin getting into his car
STORY:
French Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin's downsized team of 31 ministers held its first Cabinet meeting with President Jacques Chirac at the Elysee on Friday.
The government shakeup followed the stinging defeat on Sunday of the European Union's first constitution in a referendum widely seen as a punishment of the French leadership for chronic high unemployment, social ills and a growing gap between those in power and the populace.
Despite just a handful of new faces in the government, the four-person team that headed the important Foreign Ministry vanished entirely in the makeover.
Outgoing Foreign Minister Michel Barnier concluded that politics were to blame.
He was replaced in his job by former Health Minister Philippe Douste-Blazy, a former cardiologist and ambitious Chirac loyalist, in a move widely viewed as a reward for faithful service.
Experts said the decision to place a politician lacking international experience in a major ministry, at a vulnerable moment for France, meant that Chirac himself was running foreign policy.
The president issued numerous reminders ahead of the referendum that France's influence and image would be diminished by a "no" victory.
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