NEW DELHI: French prime minister Elisabeth Borne resigned on Monday as part of a significant government reshuffle by President Emmanuel Macron ahead of the European parliament elections and the Paris Olympics scheduled for this summer.
Macron had hinted at a government reshuffle in December, pledging a new political initiative following a year marred by political crises surrounding contentious reforms of the pension system and immigration laws.
Borne, who took office in May 2022, was the second female prime minister in French history.
She will serve as caretaker until a new government is appointed. The successor to Borne has not been announced by Macron’s office.
Among those cited as potential candidates to replace Borne are 34-year-old education minister Gabriel Attal and 37-year-old defence minister Sebastien Lecornu, either of whom would be France’s youngest ever prime minister.
Finance minister Bruno Le Maire and former agriculture minister Julien Denormandie have also been mentioned by pundits as possible options.
The change in prime minister will not necessarily lead to a shift in political tack, but rather signal a desire to move beyond the pension and immigration reforms and focus on new priorities, including hitting full employment, said political experts.
(With inputs from agencies)
Macron had hinted at a government reshuffle in December, pledging a new political initiative following a year marred by political crises surrounding contentious reforms of the pension system and immigration laws.
Borne, who took office in May 2022, was the second female prime minister in French history.
She will serve as caretaker until a new government is appointed. The successor to Borne has not been announced by Macron’s office.
Among those cited as potential candidates to replace Borne are 34-year-old education minister Gabriel Attal and 37-year-old defence minister Sebastien Lecornu, either of whom would be France’s youngest ever prime minister.
Finance minister Bruno Le Maire and former agriculture minister Julien Denormandie have also been mentioned by pundits as possible options.
The change in prime minister will not necessarily lead to a shift in political tack, but rather signal a desire to move beyond the pension and immigration reforms and focus on new priorities, including hitting full employment, said political experts.
(With inputs from agencies)