PARIS, March 31 (UPI) -- French Prime Minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin reshuffled his cabinet Wednesday after his party's heavy losses at the recent regional elections.
President Jacques Chirac reappointed Raffarin despite the losses, the BBC reported Wednesday.
The popular Nicolas Sarkozy was named finance minister and was replaced at the interior ministry by former Foreign Minister Dominique de Villepin.
Michel Barnier -- currently a member of the European Commission in Brussels -- was named the new foreign minister.
Chirac delayed a visit to Moscow so that he could supervise the new line-up.
Analysts say Raffarin could still leave office later in the year.
The conservative UMP lost heavily in local and regional elections, retaining only one of the 21 mainland regions.
The socialists and their allies held their existing eight regions, and seized another 12.
