French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe and his government resigned on Friday, giving Prime Minister Emmanuel Macron an opportunity to reshuffle his Cabinet in the final two years of his term.
Philippe will be replaced by Jean Castex, a civil servant who has spearheaded the government’s response to the coronavirus pandemic, which has pulverized the European country’s economy.
The Elysee Palace said Philippe “handed in the government’s resignation to the president of the republic, who accepted it,” and confirmed he would remain until a new government is set up.
Des cartons arrivent à Matignon #remaniement #rtl pic.twitter.com/dGX6zqlAOc
— Julien Fautrat (@Julien_Fautrat) July 3, 2020
Philippe, a conservative, has outshone Macron in popularity in recent weeks and is seen as a potential rival to Macron in the 2022 election.
Macron, whose centrist party had just suffered defeats in local elections, said he wants to chart a “new path.” It is common for a president to replace a prime minister every five years in a practice known as “quinquennat.”
Castex, a 55-year-old conservative mayor, has been dubbed “Mr. Deconfinement” because of his leading role in orchestrating France’s reopening from lockdown, according to the BBC.
