French-Moroccan politician Naïma Moutchou has been appointed as France’s Minister of Public Transformation, Artificial Intelligence, and Digital Affairs in Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu’s new government.
The 44-year-old lawyer and member of parliament for Val-d’Oise since 2017 becomes one of the few women, and one of the few people of Moroccan heritage, to hold a senior position in this field. Moutchou has also served as the spokesperson for Horizons, the party led by former Prime Minister Édouard Philippe.
Her appointment had been widely expected. Last week, she opted not to seek another term as vice-president of the National Assembly, a move that fuelled speculation about her entry into government.
Several potential roles were discussed prior to her appointment. Michel Barnier had once considered naming her deputy to Didier Migaud at the Justice Ministry, while another plan would have placed her at the Interior Ministry under Bruno Retailleau, responsible for citizenship. However, Moutchou declined those opportunities.
Moutchou entered politics in 2017 amid Emmanuel Macron’s rise to power and quickly gained prominence for her work on justice and security. As a member of the Law Commission, she was the lead rapporteur for the 2018 law against fake news.
Known for her tough stance on crime, Moutchou proposed in 2023 and 2025 the return of mandatory minimum sentences for attacks on public officials, measures that failed to pass but boosted her profile on the right, while drawing criticism from left-wing MPs.
