French Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne resigns

The move paves the way for a cabinet reshuffle as President Emmanuel Macron aims to give his presidency new momentum.

French Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne has resigned, the French presidency said, as President Emmanuel Macron prepared to unveil a long-awaited cabinet reshuffle in an attempt to give a new impetus to his presidency.

“Ms Elisabeth Borne today submitted the resignation of the government to the president, who accepted it,” the presidency said in a statement on Monday.

Macron thanked Borne for “work in the service of our nation that has been exemplary every day”, in a post on X, formerly Twitter.

Borne, appointed in May 2022, was only the second female prime minister in French history. She will act as caretaker until a new government is named.

The president had fuelled speculation of a government reshuffle in December by promising a new political initiative. This came after the year 2023 was bookended by political crises prompted by highly contested reforms of the pension system and immigration laws.