Re-elected president last April, Emmanuel Macron is preparing his second term as head of France. On May 16, he received the resignation of his Prime Minister, Jean Castex, as well as that of his government. He hailed his former team on Twitter. Matignon will now be under the responsibility of a figure already known to the French: Elisabeth Borne.
“Thanks to @JeanCastex, his government and his entire team. For almost two years [il a succédé au populaire Edouard Philippe en juillet 2020, NDLR], he acted with passion and commitment in the service of France. Let’s be proud of the work accomplished and the results achieved together“, wrote Emmanuel Macron on Twitter. For his part, Jean Castex – who received several departure gifts including a rugby jersey – had not hidden his emotion when preparing his departure from Matignon, in the presence in particular of all his collaborators. “For me the adventure is over. It is a political necessity. My feelings are not contradictory: I think this evolution is necessary and I obviously regret, at the same time, to leave my functions here at Matignon where I was very happy“, he had according to The Parisian.
The post, which would have suffered several refusals, in particular from personalities coming from the left – because of the very delicate pension reform to come –, was finally awarded to Élisabeth Borne. The Elysée confirmed this to AFP. “The President of the Republic has appointed Mrs. Elisabeth Borne Prime Minister and instructed her to form a government“, said the presidency in a press release.It is the choice of competence in the service of France, of a woman of conviction, action and achievement.“, explained also the Elysée. At 61, the one who was until now Minister of Labour, Employment and Integration is therefore making a big career change by becoming Prime Minister. She is not the second woman in the entire history of the Fifth Republic to hold this position after Edith Cresson; the socialist was appointed by François Mitterrand in May 1991 and left her post in April 1992.
Shortly before the announcement of the appointment of Elisabeth Borne as Prime Minister, the leader of La France Insoumise, Jean-Luc Mélenchon, had joked on Twitter. “Great tension before the appointment of my predecessor. Will it be right-wing or right-wing? Nobody wants the job. It’s an interim mission CDD“, he reacted. It must be said that he is betting everything on the legislative elections of June – the 12th and 19th -, this famous “third round” from which he hopes to emerge victorious to the point of imposing cohabitation on the president. It remains to be seen whether his bet will pay off…