It was led by Manuel Valls, who was appointed prime minister of France on 31 March 2014.

Two ministers had not been part of the Ayrault Cabinet: Ségolène Royal, who had previously been a minister in the Bérégovoy Cabinet and junior minister in the Jospin Cabinet, and François Rebsamen, who came from the position as leader of the Socialist Party group in the French Senate was included in a cabinet for the first time, becoming minister of labour.

The average age of government ministers at the time of appointment was 54,[5] with Laurent Fabius at 67 being the oldest and Najat Vallaud-Belkacem at 36 being the youngest.

[6] On 9 April 2014, fourteen secretaries of states were appointed.

They included Fleur Pellerin, who was deputy minister in Ayrault's cabinet, and First Secretary of the French Socialist Party Harlem Désir who both became secretaries to the foreign minister.