Sawt Falasteen - Macron, new French PM preparing fresh reshuffle: sources

Macron reshuffled the cabinet with a tilt to the right on January 11 after naming Attal, 34, as France's youngest and first openly gay prime minister.

Attal discussed the appointments with Macron in the hope of making an announcement later in the day though it could be delayed until Wednesday, several sources with knowledge of the issue, who asked not to be named, told AFP.

Around 14 junior ministers still needed to be named to complete the first reshuffle. But speculation has also whirled there could already be changes in the top positions.

One of the key moves in the January 11 shake-up was putting former French junior tennis champion Amelie Oudea-Castera in charge of a super ministry comprising both sports and education.

But a series of controversies -- including her insistence that she sent one of her children to a private school because of lost teaching hours -- have meant her position has been shaky ever since.

Meanwhile, Francois Bayrou, head of the centrist MoDem that is allied to Macron's party and a key political ally of the president, could be on the brink of a return to cabinet.

Bayrou was acquitted on Wednesday in a seven-year case over the fraudulent employment of parliamentary assistants by his party, with the judge ruling he was owed the "benefit of the doubt".

A three-time presidential candidate, Bayrou served as education minister for four years in the 1990s and was named justice minister by Macron when he took the presidency in 2017.

He resigned the same year when the legal case was opened against him but has remained a key behind-the-scenes ally of the president.

Bayrou, now 72, is "part of the equation" after his acquittal and his "name is on the table", an Elysee advisor, who asked not to be named, told AFP.

The centrist grandee himself did not rule out such a move, telling BFM TV "there are many ways to serve, I have not ruled any out".

Speculation initially surfaced that Bayrou could return to the education minister, but some sources suggested Macron would prefer another face and he could take a different role.

Attal has made clear he has no problem with Bayrou returning to the government, according to French daily Le Monde, even if the centrist publically aired doubts about the new premier's experience.

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J.AbuHassan--SF-PST