PARIS—France is to name a new prime minister “in the coming hours,” the country’s presidency said Friday, shortly after announcing Edouard Philippe’s resignation amid an expected reshuffle.
President Emmanuel Macron is seeking to open a new chapter for the two remaining years of his term that will focus on efforts to relaunch the French economy deeply hit by the coronavirus crisis.
In an interview given to several local newspapers on Thursday, Macron said he is seeking a “new path” to rebuild the country.
He praised Philippe’s “outstanding work” in the past three years.
“I will need to make choices to lead [the country] down the path,” he said.
French President Emmanuel Macron (R) speaks with French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe at the Elysee Palace in Paris, France, on July, 2, 2020. (Ian Langsdon/Pool via AP)
The reshuffle comes days after a green wave swept over France in local elections. Macron saw his young centrist party being defeated in France’s biggest cities and failing to plant local roots across the country.
The reshuffle was planned even before the voting, as Macron’s government faced obstacles and criticism before Sunday’s election and during the virus crisis.
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French President Emmanuel Macron (R) speaks with French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe at the Elysee Palace in Paris, France, on July, 2, 2020. (Ian Langsdon/Pool via AP)