Meet the possible next foreign minister of France

#France has a new Prime Minister, Michel Barnier, who is now tasked with forming a government. One of the most important posts is that of Foreign Minister. Our colleagues at MondAfrique tell us that Rachida Dati, the former Minister of Culture in Gabriel Attal’s government, is being considered for that job.

Her name has been circulating alongside others, such as Manuel Valls, as potential candidates for this key diplomatic role. Dati has been a top official in the French government for a long time, including Justice Minister in 2007.

If #Dati becomes Foreign Minister, it would be worth watching how she would deal with France’s North Africa policy and how she would navigate the thorny relations between #Algeria and #Morocco. This is because while her allegiance will first be for France, Dati’s father is Moroccan and her mother Algerian, seemingly putting her in a tough position.

However, it is clear that Dati’s positions on various issues dealing with the Maghreb, generally favor Morocco. She has been a staunch supporter of Morocco’s Western Sahara claim and on Morocco’s fight with Algeria over cultural appropriation claims, such as the #Kaftan dress, the #Zellige, etc.

While PM Barnier is still looking for a Foreign Minister, he will have to figure out how Dati could be a positive or negative force on the country’s diplomatic front. Will she be working to ease tensions or add more fuel to the fire?? ?