French President Nicolas Sarkozy unveiled a broad-based cabinet on Friday, naming popular leftist Bernard Kouchner as foreign minister in a slimline government that radically reshaped the economic ministries.

Maintaining an election promise, Sarkozy appointed seven women to his 15-strong team, breaking a male stranglehold on power and halving the number of cabinet posts.

Sarkozy and Prime Minister Francois Fillon, who was appointed on Thursday, held their first cabinet meeting yesterday, sending a clear signal that they immediately want to get to work on their reform program.

Alain Juppe, a former prime minister, becomes the government's number two, heading a new super-ministry that combines the environment, sustainable development, transport and energy.

Jean-Louis Borloo, the previous labor minister, becomes France's economic chief, in charge of a revamped portfolio that includes economic strategy and employment.

He will be shadowed by Eric Woerth, the former treasurer of Sarkozy's ruling UMP party, who will be responsible for the state budget and all aspects of public spending - a new post aimed at rationalizing government and cutting costs.

It was not immediately clear who would run industrial policy or foreign trade, with both areas previously run by separate ministers - posts that were absent from Friday's cabinet list.

In a first, Sarkozy reached out to the opposition and picked three leftists for his administration - Kouchner as foreign minister, Jean-Pierre Jouyet as secretary of state for Europe and Eric Besson as secretary of state for public policy.

The Socialists have accused Sarkozy of trying to destabilize their party, still struggling to absorb their presidential election defeat, and have belittled Kouchner's move saying core parts of his portfolio will be poached by Sarkozy's office.

Sarkozy plans to set up a foreign-policy advisory body within his Elysee Palace that could limit any room for manoeuvre for Kouchner, a former UN governor in Kosovo and co-founder of the Nobel Peace Prize-winning charity Doctors without Borders.

Reaching out to centrist allies, Sarkozy appointed Herve Morin as defence minister. He will replace Michele Alliot-Marie, who switches to an interior ministry that has been stripped off responsibility for immigration issues.

These have been placed in a highly controversial new ministry for immigration and national identity, which Sarkozy entrusted to his longest-standing ally, Brice Hortefeux.

One of the first tasks of the new government will be to campaign for legislative elections on June 10 and 17, which the president must win to enact his reform program. Opinion polls have suggested that he should secure a strong majority.

Source; China Daily/Agencies