French politics heat up after Prime Minister Borne resigns

The French presidency said Mr Macron had not named a successor to Ms Borne, after a year of political and social unrest sparked by controversial reforms to the pension system and immigration laws.

French politics heats up after prime minister borne resigns image 1 — French President Emmanuel Macron (right) and Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne (left) during a military parade in Paris on January 5, 2024.

In her resignation letter, Prime Minister Borne said she and Mr Macron agreed in their most recent meeting that “continuing reforms is more necessary than ever”.

Among those seen as potential candidates to replace Ms Borne are Education Minister Gabriel Attal, 34, and Defence Minister Sebastien Lecornu, 37. Both would be France's youngest prime ministers if chosen.

Former Agriculture Minister Julien Denormandie, Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire and Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin have also been mentioned by political sources as other possible options for the prime minister position.

The reshuffle is likely to crowd the race to succeed Mr Macron in the next French presidential election in 2027, with former Prime Minister Edouard Philippe, Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin and Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire all seen as potential candidates.

Polls show Mr Macron's party trailing far-right leader Marine Le Pen's party by around 8 to 10 percentage points ahead of the election.

A soft-spoken official who served several Socialist Party ministers before joining Mr Macron’s government, Ms Borne, 62, was elected prime minister of France from May 2022. She is only the second woman to hold the post.

Bui Huy (according to Reuters, AP, AFP)

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