President Sarkozy replaced eight Cabinet ministers last night, promoting right-wing loyalists and downgrading the glamorous women from ethnic minorities in his first government.

In his first serious reshuffle since his election two years ago, Mr Sarkozy replaced Rachida Dati, the outgoing Justice Minister of North African origin, with Michèle Alliot-Marie, 62, a Gaullist veteran who was Interior Minister. Ms Dati, 42, was notified of her dismissal in January after falling foul of her mentor and then running successfully for the European Parliament this month.

In what he called the second phase of his administration, Mr Sarkozy appointed Brice Hortefeux, an old friend and loyal lieutenant, to the Interior Ministry. Christian Estrosi, another old friend, will serve as Industry Minister.

Rama Yade, 34, a Senegalese-born woman who was Human Rights Minister — who, with Ms Dati, was the other glamour figure in the Government — was demoted to junior minister for sport, replacing Bernard Laporte, a former French national rugby coach, who was sacked.

The human rights post, which reported to Bernard Kouchner, the Foreign Minister, has been eliminated in what was seen as recognition that it had served little purpose.

Mr Sarkozy had been striving to continue his policy of recruiting people from outside his centre-right camp to his Government but he failed to persuade some potential candidates and decided against others at the last minute. The only big name from outside the Gaullist circle to join Mr Sarkozy’s tightened team was Frédéric Mitterrand, 61, a nephew of the late Socialist President. A prominent figure in the arts world and a leading gay activist, Mr Mitterrand became Culture Minister, replacing Christine Albanel. Ms Albanel was sacked after bungling a law against internet privacy that Mr Sarkozy regarded as a priority.

Mr Mitterrand was seen as a catch for Mr Sarkozy because the family name is associated with the pre-eminent Socialist leader of the late 20th century. Mr Mitterrand, who was a popular television personality in the 1980s and 1990s, had tied himself to the centre-right Gaullist camp since backing President Chirac in 2005.

Mr Sarkozy made another gesture to the Chirac camp, appointing Pierre Lellouche, a Paris MP and foreign policy expert, who is close to Mr Chirac, as Europe Minister, in succession to Bruno Lemaire, 38, who was promoted to Agriculture.

François Fillon, the Prime Minister, remains in his post, as do Christine Lagarde, the Finance Minister, and Mr Kouchner.

Mr Sarkozy’s limited reshuffle was seen as a return to a more traditional Cabinet after his experiment with outsiders and leftists.

“He has gone back to the old family formula,” Michel Sapin, a former Socialist Finance Minister, said. “The first time round you experiment and then you return to the loyalists.”

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