France’s prime minister, Élisabeth Borne, resigned on Monday after days of increasingly feverish speculation about an imminent government reshuffle.
The president, Emmanuel Macron, who is seeking to give a new impetus to his second mandate before European parliament elections and the Paris Olympics this summer, thanked Borne for her “exemplary work in the service of the nation”.
In her resignation letter, Borne said it was “more necessary than ever to continue the reforms” being pursued by the government.
“I wanted to tell you how passionate I have been about this mission,” she wrote, adding that she was “guided by the constant concern, which we share, to achieve rapid and tangible results for our fellow citizens”.
Nevertheless, she made it clear the decision to go had not been hers and that she had taken note of the president’s wish to appoint a new prime minister.
Under the French system, the president appoints the prime minister but cannot dismiss them from the post. Instead, they must ask for their resignation.
The reshuffle comes five months before the European parliament elections, with Eurosceptics expected to make record gains at a time of widespread public discontent over surging living costs and the failure of European governments to curb immigration.
Opinion polls show Macron’s party trailing that of the far-right leader Marine Le Pen by eight to 10 points before the June vote.
