Borne's resignation came as no surprise. President Macron was already expected to reorganize the government following recent difficulties with immigration law. Macron had already received Borne on Sunday night – to discuss important issues, as was said. Less than 24 hours later, Borne officially submitted his resignation – around 20 months after taking office in mid-May 2022.
President Macron accepted his resignation and thanked him “from the bottom of his heart” on X (Twitter) for his “exemplary” work at the service of the country. Borne was only the second woman to head the French government, after Edith Cresson, who was in the role for almost a year in 1991.
Madame la Première Ministre, check it out @Elisabeth_Borne, your work in service to our nation is always exemplary. You have my work, our project with courage, l'engagement et la determination des femmes d'État. Tout cœur, thank you. pic.twitter.com/G26ifKfKzj
-Emmanuel Macron (@EmmanuelMacron) January 8, 2024
Minister of Education is favorite for new prime minister
Macron is expected to name a successor soon. On Monday night, people close to the president said that his successor would be announced on Tuesday morning. The favorite is Education Minister Gabriel Attal, 34, who would become France's youngest head of government. The aspiring politician is a close confidant of Macron and has held several government positions.
APA/AFP/Julien de Rosa Elisabeth Borne resigned from the position of Prime Minister. She could be followed by the former Minister of Education, Gabriel Attal.
Also under discussion are the former Minister of Agriculture, Julien Denormandie, and the Minister of Defense, Sebastien Lecornu, both also confidants of the president.
Immigration reform divided government camps
The next prime minister is also expected to change several cabinet members, including Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna. The government's restructuring will likely be a consequence of the government's recent difficulties with the new migration law. This was considered one of Macron's main projects – but in the end it was narrowly approved in the French parliament. Before that, the administration had to make extensive concessions to conservative Republicans to win approval.
However, the stricter legal text caused serious tensions within the government field. 20 deputies from Macron's ranks voted against the text and 17 abstained. Health Minister Aurelien Rousseau later resigned. According to rumors, other members of the left-wing cabinet also considered leaving the government because of the text before the vote.
Headwind for the government
These were not the only internal political turmoil that Macron had to face last year. In the summer, unrest rocked the country after police shot and killed a teenager in the Paris suburb of Nanterre.
At the same time, Macron pushed through an extremely unpopular pension reform – without a final vote in the National Assembly. The government had already lost its absolute majority in the National Assembly a year and a half ago. It therefore depends on the opposition's votes for its projects. Prime Minister Borne tirelessly tried to find compromises. However, she did not achieve this with the pension reform.
Unity ahead of EU elections and Olympic Games
Macron is expected to move forward with a renewed cabinet and keep his camp together, especially after the internal disputes. After all, European elections are approaching in the spring, in which Marine Le Pen's right-wing nationalist party threatens to significantly overtake Macron's troops.
With the Paris Olympic and Paralympic Games this summer, France also faces an organizational challenge – and a time when the country wants to appear united and capable of acting to the outside world.