GOVERNMENT OF FRANCE

Press, Volume XCI, Issue 27583, 14 February 1955, Page 11

GOVERNMENT OF FRANCE

Pflimlin’s Search For Cabinet

(N.Z. Press Association—Copyright) (Rec. 10 p.m.) PARIS, February 13. Mr Pierre Pflimlin, France’s Prime Minister-elect, said today that he hopes to be able to complete tomorrow his Cabinet —France’s twenty-first since World War 11. Mr Pflimlin has been rebuffed by the de Gaullist Party, which, however, will not bar individual members from taking part in the Pflimlin Government if they want to. Struggling hard to distribute portfolios in such a manner as to keep everybody happy, Mr Pflimlin is known to have offered the Foreign Secretariat of State to Mr Gaston Palewski, a de Gaulist who refused to vote for the Paris Agreements and who stands for negotiations with the Russians before any attempt is made to rearm Western Germany. Yet the man Mr Pflimlin has already selected as his Foreign Minister is Mr Rene Mayer, a former Prime Minister, who envisages a supranational Europe and also was a keen supporter of the rejected European Defence Community.

Conservative deputies, dissident de Gaullists, Independents, and Peasants’ Party members left in abeyance last night their decision on whether to join Mr Pflimlin, who is a Popular Republican. They will meet again today to consider their final attitude. They are reported to be dissatisfied with the number and importance of the Ministries so far offered them. Mr Pflimlin overcame his last hesitations about forming a government after being assured of the support of the Radicals. He was able to rely on the support of his own party and some de Gaullists. He is by no means certain in advance of getting a majority in the National Assembly, but has calculated that once the Cabinet is constituted the likelihood of his winning approval would be usefully increased. The new government will replace that of Mr Mendes-France, defeated on February 5 on its North African policy. Mr Antoine Pinay, independent Conservative, gave up the attempt to form a Cabinet after the Socialists and Popular Republicans refused their support.