Rima Abdul Malak becomes new French culture minister

Rima Abdul Malak has been appointed as the new French culture minister in the government of prime minister Elisabeth Borne.

Rima Abdul Malak

Malak, who replaces Roselyne Bachelot-Narquin in the post, was a surprise announcement. The Franco-Lebanese politician, whose parents fled Beirut for France with their children during the Lebanese civil war of 1975-90, has served as an advisor on culture and communications to President Emmanuel Macron since 2017.

She has previously worked as head of contemporary music at the Institut Français from 2007 and cultural advisor to then Paris mayor Bertrand Delanoë from 2012.

As culture minister, her in-tray includes the ending of France’s TV licence, used to finance public service media, which had been promised by Macron during the recent presidential election.

During the handover of powers from Bachelot-Narquin, Malak promised to “defend [France’s] cultural sovereignty” to reinforce the position of “French creation, the French language and French innovation in the digital ocean, and soon in the metaverse”.

Among other commitments, she also promised to “defend a pluralist and independent public audiovisual [service]”.