This week, he said that his "absolute priority" was still to trim the deficit.Although the reappointment of Mr Fillon is popular, in the short run the reshuffle is unlikely to lift Mr Sarkozy's approval ratings from their record lows.
The reappointment of Mr Fillon, who is now expected to stay until the 2012 presidential election, is an almost unprecedented individual triumph.
The President knew that the reappointment of Mr Bernanke, who though a Republican is seen as a largely non-ideological figure, would reinforce his bipartisan credentials, while showing a steady hand on the economic tiller.
The reappointment of Mr Liu, who oversaw the firm's transition from a local distributor of foreign PCs to the biggest domestic manufacturer, is a clear sign that Lenovo believes its best chance of revival lies in fast-growing China.
Keeping somebody with such a record makes sense at a time when America is embroiled in two wars, with improvements in Iraq still fragile and the situation in Afghanistan deteriorating.Mr Gates's likely reappointment will allow Mr Obama to deliver on his promise to appoint at least one Republican in his cabinet.
The conviction stemmed from a $500,000 in donations that Richard M. Scrushy, the former chief executive of HealthSouth, arranged for a state lottery campaign, which prosecutors argued was a payoff for Mr. Scrushy's reappointment by Mr. Siegelman to the state hospital licensing board.
Critics of Coke's board most frequently point to the reappointment of Mr. Keough as proof that the selection panel wields more power than senior executives.
Mr. Greenspan, who has led the Fed since 1987, has at times used his clout to influence nominations, most recently with his open support for the reappointment of Mr. Ferguson as vice chairman.
Although nominated months ago by Mr Obama to a second term starting on February 1st, Mr Bernanke's reappointment had not been confirmed by the Senate.
In any case France has no veto over Mr Barroso's reappointment: the decision is now taken by majority vote.
