FRENCH Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne resigned today, as President Emmanuel Macron prepared to unveil a long-awaited cabinet reshuffle in a bid to give new momentum to the final three years of his presidency.
After days of intense behind-the-scenes maneuvering, Education Minister Gabriel Attal, 34, emerged as the frontrunner to succeed Borne, whose successor has yet to be selected.
If appointed, Attal would be France’s youngest ever and first openly gay prime minister.
“Ms Elisabeth Borne today submitted the resignation of the government to the president, who accepted it,” the presidency said in a statement.
Commentators believe the restructuring is necessary to revive Macron’s centrist presidency in its final three years and avoid him from becoming a “lame duck” leader following a series of setbacks.
Since defeating the extreme right to win a second term in 2022, Macron has faced protests over unpopular pension reforms, the loss of his overall majority in parliamentary elections, and debate over immigration policy.
Borne, 62, the second woman to lead the French government, has withstood these challenges but has never dismissed questions about her future.
Macron praised her on X for “work in the service of our nation that has been exemplary every day” without mentioning her resignation.
Other than Attal, probable successors to Borne include 37-year-old Defense Minister Sebastien Lecornu and 43-year-old former Agriculture Minister Julien Denormandie.
