French Prime Minister resigns as Macron seeks to reignite Presidency

French prime minister Edouard Philippe has stepped down, kick-starting a government reshuffle designed to reignite Emmanuel Macron’s presidency two years before presidential elections.

“Mr Edouard Philippe has handed in the resignation of the government to the president of the republic, who has accepted it,” said a brief statement from the Elysée Palace on Friday.

“He will ensure, with the members of the government, the management of current operations until the nomination of the new government,” the statement said.

Mr Macron is eager to relaunch his presidency ahead of the next presidential election in 2022. His first three years in office have been marked by sometimes contentious economic reforms, the gilets jaunes anti-government protests and the coronavirus pandemic that has killed nearly 30,000 people in France and triggered a deep recession.

Mr Philippe could, in theory, be reinstated as prime minister leading a reshuffled cabinet, but the resignation of the whole government suggests Mr Macron has in mind something more ambitious than a handful of new ministers.

Source: FinancialTimes