French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe has resigned as a government reshuffle is expected in the coming days, the French presidency announced Friday.
The statement didn’t say whether whether Philippe will be replaced or will stay on as the head of a new government.
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.
French President Emmanuel Macron, right, speaks with French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe as they attend a meeting with President of Senate Gerard Larche, House speaker Richard Ferrand and President of the Economic, Social and Environmental Council (CESE), Patrick Bernasconi at the Elysee Palace in Paris, Thursday 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.