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Rabat – Naïma Moutchou, a French-Moroccan politician, has been appointed as France’s new Minister of Public Transformation, Artificial Intelligence, and Digital Affairs in Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu’s government.
Her appointment makes her one of the few women – and one of the few people of Moroccan descent – in an industry largely dominated by men.
The 44-year-old politician is a lawyer by training and has been a member of parliament for Val-d’Oise since 2017. She also served as the spokesperson for Horizons, the political party led by former Prime Minister Édouard Philippe.
Her entry into the new government does not come as a surprise. Last week, she swiftly decided not to pursue another term as vice-president of the National Assembly, raising speculation that she was preparing for a ministerial role, according to French media.
According to Libération, Édouard Philippe encouraged her last year to gain government experience. “It would be good for you to manage an administration,” he told her.”
Several opportunities were discussed, as Michel Barnier once considered making her deputy to Didier Migaud at the Justice Ministry in 2024, but the plan was dropped. Barnier also thought about assigning her to the Interior Ministry under Bruno Retailleau, who is in charge of citizenship.
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But Moutchou refused, saying firmly: “I am not the Arab token.” She also rejected suggestions to take positions related to gender equality or social economy, saying those were “not my subjects.” Instead, she chose to continue as vice-president of the Assembly, a position where she often played a sharp political role for Philippe’s camp.
At the Assembly, Moutchou built a reputation as a strong and outspoken politician. Earlier this year, she gave a cold welcome to Prime Minister François Bayrou when he visited the Horizons group, criticizing him for coming late to the budget discussions. “Thank you for coming after the war,” she told him, referring to the heated debates that had already concluded.
Moutchou entered politics in 2017 during Emmanuel Macron’s rise to power. She quickly became known for her work on justice and security issues. As a member of the Law Commission, she served as the main rapporteur for the 2018 law against fake news.
However, she soon grew tired of what she described as the “start-up style” of Macron’s movement and joined Édouard Philippe when he created his own party, Horizons, in 2021. Within the party, she led the “Ideas Pole,” responsible for developing policy proposals.
At the Assembly, she worked to promote a tougher line on crime and proposed in both 2023 and 2025 to bring back mandatory minimum sentences for people who attack public officials, though her efforts failed to pass. These positions made her popular on the right but also drew criticism from left-wing lawmakers.
