French Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne resigns despite remaining “passionate about this mission”

French Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne resigned on January 8 ahead of a much-anticipated cabinet reshuffle by French President Emmanuel Macron, as he tries to inject fresh momentum into his second term at the start of a year of major events in France, including European Parliament elections and the Paris Summer Olympics.

The prime minister plays a key role in France. According to the French Constitution, through the prime minister’s leadership, the government “determines and implements the policies of the state,” and the prime minister is directly responsible to the National Assembly . Ms. Borne, 62, was appointed prime minister shortly after Mr. Macron was elected for a second term in May 2022 and is only the second woman to hold the position in France.

The Elysee Palace (the French President's office) said Mr. Macron had accepted the Prime Minister's resignation. The French leader has not named a successor for Ms. Borne, but she will continue to work as interim Prime Minister with the rest of the government until a new government is formed.

In her resignation letter shared with French media, Ms Borne made it clear that it was Mr Macron who had decided to replace her, while she had suggested she would rather stay. She noted that her government had passed more than 50 bills in parliament and that reforming France was “more necessary than ever”.

“As I present my resignation from government, I want to tell you how passionate I am about this mission, guided by our shared interest in achieving quick, clear results for our people,” she wrote.

The French president and his government have struggled to get their bills through parliament since losing their absolute majority in parliament shortly after Mr Macron was re-elected for a second term in 2022.

The change of Prime Minister comes after a year in which France was rocked by political crises over controversial reforms to the pension system and immigration laws.

World - French Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne resigns despite remaining “passionate about this mission” — Left-wing lawmakers from the La France Insoumise (France Insoumise) party hold up signs reading “Democracy” and “64, no!” as Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne prepares to announce that the government will force the pension reform bill to pass without a vote, at the Assemblée Nationale in Paris, France, March 17, 2023. Photo: Le Monde

The move also comes just five months before European Parliament elections, with Eurosceptics expected to score record support amid widespread public discontent over rising living costs and the failure of European governments to curb migration.

Opinion polls show Mr Macron's centrist party trailing far-right leader Marine Le Pen's party by around 8-10 points in June's EU elections.

The French president's advisers say he has managed to get the most challenging parts of his economic manifesto through in the first year and a half of his second term, despite lacking an absolute majority and future reforms, such as on education and euthanasia, will be more unanimous.

Speculation about a cabinet reshuffle has been rife since Mr Macron promised a new political initiative last December. Among those seen as potential candidates to replace Ms Borne are Education Minister Gabriel Attal, 34, and Defence Minister Sebastien Lecornu, 37. Either of them would be France’s youngest ever prime minister.

Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire and former Agriculture Minister Julien Denormandie are also considered possible options by experts.

The change of Prime Minister in France does not necessarily mean a change in political strategy, but rather signals a desire to move beyond pension and immigration reforms and focus on new priorities, including achieving full employment.

In addition, the general Cabinet reshuffle is likely to intensify the centrist race to succeed Mr Macron in the next French presidential election, with former Prime Minister Edouard Philippe, Interior Minister Gerard Darmanin and Finance Minister Le Maire all considered potential candidates.

But with Ms Le Pen having spent the past 18 months in parliament working to improve her image and burnish her credentials as a potential president, many politicians now speculate that the far-right leader is likely to win the 2027 French presidential election .

Minh Duc (According to France24, NY Times)

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