CNN summary
but RMN got the French blog inside scoop ;-)
PARIS, France (CNN) -- French President Jacques Chirac has appointed loyalist Dominique de Villepin as prime minister after French voters rejected the European Union Constitution -- throwing the future direction of the 25-nation organization into doubt.
As France's foreign minister from 2002 to 2004, Villepin gained a worldwide reputation for his impassioned defense of the French stance against a U.S.-led invasion of Iraq.
Villepin, 51, replaces Jean-Pierre Raffarin -- the first government casualty after France said no to adopting the constitution in Sunday's referendum. The document lays out a new framework for the union, which added 10 members a year ago, and creates the permanent positions of president and foreign minister.
On Tuesday, Villepin arrived at the presidential Elysee Palace just minutes after Chirac bid farewell to Raffarin with a handshake on the palace steps.
In a short statement, Raffarin, who was prime minister for three years, denied his departure was connected to the referendum.
Villepin is a long-standing Chirac loyalist and was once his top adviser. Critics point to his never having held elective office.
http://www.cnn.com/2005/WORLD/europe/05/31/france.eu/index.html
in English CNN
and the Euro is falling...
