Hollande Readies Cabinet Shuffle as Fabius Confirms He's Leaving

Socialist president faces backlash over constitutional change
Royal, Ayrault among possible candidates for Foreign Ministry

Francois Hollande.
Photographer: Christophe Morin/Bloomberg

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By Mark Deen and Helene Fouquet

February 10, 2016 at 1:00 PM UTC

Corrected

February 11, 2016 at 7:42 AM UTC

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French President Francois Hollande is preparing for a cabinet shake-up as Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius confirmed that he will leave the government in coming days.

Fabius, 69, is set to be named to head France’s constitutional court after a lifetime in politics that saw him become the youngest prime minister since World War II when he was handed the job by then-President Francois Mitterrand in 1984. Asked by journalists Wednesday whether that day’s cabinet meeting was his last, he answered simply “yes,” before getting into his car.