Above: Victorin Lurel

By the Caribbean Journal staff

Victorin Lurel, the President of Guadeloupe’s Regional Council, said he welcomed the appointment of Jean-Marc Ayrault as France’s new Prime Minister.

The pick was announced by new French President Francois Hollande, who was officially inaugurated Tuesday.

Lurel called the choice of Ayrault “a strong signal” that Hollande is choosing to drive change.

Ayrault is “a man who has demonstrated outstanding qualities to be an excellent head of government,” Lurel said. “[He] is a local politician and a parliamentarian of great experience who can embody, at the same time, authority and weight.”

Hollande won the second round of the country’s election last week, in part due to a strong showing in France’s Caribbean departments.

Lurel is also a member of France’s National Assembly.

Ayrault is a former mayor of Nantes; both are members of Hollande’s Socialist Party.