CABINET SPLIT

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29824, 17 May 1962, Page 13

CABINET SPLIT

Walk-out In Paris (N.Z.P.A -Reuter —Copyright) PARIS. May Iff. Five French Cabinet Ministers resigned today because of President de Gaulle's European policy. They announced their action after walking out of a Cabinet meeting half an hour after it convened. Reuter reported. The five are the M.R.P. Catholic Party’s full tnimst rial representation. They are: the Minister of Public Works (Mr Buron); the Minister of Labour (Mr Bacon); the Minister of Health (Mr Fontanet); the Minister of State for Cooperation with African States <Mr Pflimlin); and the Minister for Town and Country Planning (Mr Schuman). The Ministers said in a communique they had resigned because of the European policy expressed by President de Gaulle at his press conference yesterday. The present Government, headed by Mr Georges Pompidou, a former managing director of Rothschild's Bank in Paris, was formed a month ago today. The M.R.P. office said the Ministers handed in their resignations during the morning’s meeting with the president at the Elysee Palace.

M.R.P. said the five had decided to resign at a meeting of the Ministers held with party leaders last night.

The text of the communique said: "During the evening of May 15 the M R P. Ministers of the Government asked the Prime Minister to convey their resignation to the President of the Republic.

“Yesterday’s press conference brought out essential divergences between General de Gaulle's conceptions on the orientation and goals of the European policy and the ideas which they (the Ministers) hold.

“These divergences are such that they do not permit them to remain in the Government when circumstances demand total and unwavering Government solidarity in all fields."