French President Nicolas Sarkozy on Sunday announced that he has reshuffled his government due to the political unrest in northern Africa, saying that he needs experienced foreign, interior and defence ministers to handle an anticipated influx of immigrants, dpa reported.
Sarkozy appointed Defence Minister Alain Juppe to replace the scandal-tainted Foreign Minister Michele Alliot-Marie.
Juppe will be succeeded by the leader of the Union for a Popular Movement in the Senate, Gerard Longuet, while Interior Minister Brice Hortefeux will swap posts with Sarkozy's general secretary, Claude Guean.
Just three months have passed since the president last reshuffled his cabinet in November, appointing Alliot-Marie. Her reputation suffered when a holiday in Tunisia overlapped with the initial outburst of anti-regime protests there.