The French Prime Minister, Élisabeth Borne, submitted the resignation of her government on Monday, accepted by President Emmanuel Macron who thanked her for her “exemplary” work in the “service of the Nation”.
In 20 months at the head of government, Ms. Borne notably took on the very unpopular pension reform and the very controversial immigration law.
She estimated on Monday that it was “more necessary than ever to continue reforms”, in her resignation letter given to Mr. Macron and consulted by AFP.
His fate was up in the air in recent days, with many close to the president banking on a vast reshuffle after his departure.
She and her team will ensure day-to-day affairs until the appointment of the new government.
The 62-year-old former prefect was the second woman to hold the post of prime minister in the history of the French Republic. She will have far exceeded the mandate (10 months and 18 days) of her predecessor Edith Cresson, appointed more than thirty years ago, in May 1991, by François Mitterrand.
But Ms. Borne, known as “techno,” struggled to establish a connection with the French and experienced disagreements with the president.
The young Minister of National Education, Gabriel Attal, should succeed him, indicated a person close to the executive.
At 34, he would become the youngest prime minister of the 5th Republic, beating the record of the socialist Laurent Fabius, appointed at 37 in 1984.
The upcoming government reshuffle aims in particular to breathe new life into Emmanuel Macron’s second five-year term, without an absolute majority in the Assembly and mired in difficulties, in particular the progression of the far right.
Mr. Macron will not be able to run again in 2027.
More details will follow.