Physicist Sylvie Retailleau replaces Frédérique Vidal in post-election reshuffle
In a cabinet reshuffle on 20 May marking the beginning of his second term in power, French president Emmanuel Macron appointed Sylvie Retailleau, a physicist who was previously president of the powerful University of Paris-Saclay, as higher education and research minister.
Retailleau replaces Frédérique Vidal, who had held the role since 2017. A well-known figure in French higher education, Retailleau was formerly head of Paris-Sud University, the largest institution among the universities and research institutes that would merge to form Paris-Saclay University in 2020.