French President Hollande announces new cabinet 24 hours after dissolving government

PARIS, Aug. 26 (UPI) -- French President Francois Hollande announced a new cabinet on Tuesday, a day after dissolving the government in response to public criticism of his leadership by senior ministers.

Hollande had given Prime Minister Manuel Valls 24-hours to form the new government following complaints that he was shifting away from his Socialist Party and toward a conservative, pro-business platform.

Among those replaced was Economy Minister Arnaud Montebourg, who publicly criticized the president's leadership and acceptance of German-imposed austerity measures in an interview with Le Monde on Saturday.

"France is a free country which shouldn't aligning itself with the obsessions of the Germany right," Montebourg asserted in the article, adding that those who conform are his enemy and "my enemy is governing."

Emmanuel Macron replaces Montebourg as economy minister. Two other ministers from the left also resigned: Minister for Women's Rights Benoit Hamon and Culture Minister Aurelie Filippetti. They were replaced by Najat Vallaud-Belkacem and Fleur Pellerin, respectively.

The ministers of defense, foreign affairs and finance retained their positions.

The new cabinet, Hollande said, should "cohere to the directions of the prime minister."