French prime minister resigns; Macron naming new one shortly

Paris, May 16: French Prime Minister Jean Castex resigned Monday in an expected move after the reelection last month of centrist President Emmanuel Macron, who will quickly name a replacement.

Castex came to the Elysee presidential palace on Monday to formally offer his resignation, which the president “accepted,” the Elysee said in a statement.

Macron is expected to name a new prime minister shortly. French media say Labour Minister Elisabeth Borne is the favourite for the job.

In France, it's common for presidents to have more than one prime minister during their terms.

Macron and his new prime minister will then hold talks in order to appoint France's full new government in the coming days.

The new prime minister's first mission will be to make sure that Macron's centrist party and its allies do well in France's parliamentary election in June.

The vote, scheduled for two rounds, will determine which group holds the majority of seats at the National Assembly, which has the final say over the Senate in France's law-making process.

Macron also promised a bill addressing the rising cost of living in France, where food and energy prices are surging. It will be prepared by his new government and is expected to be presented just after the parliamentary election.

If Macron's party wins a majority in the Assembly, the prime minister will then need to ensure that pension changes promised by the president are put into law, including raising the minimum retirement age from 62 to 65.

The proposed changes have been criticized by workers, unions and left-wing voters. Macron also promised that the new prime minister would be directly in charge of “green planning,” seeking to accelerate France's implementation of climate-related policies. Macron vowed to go “twice as fast” in his second term to curb greenhouse gas emissions.