The Prime Minister of France, Élisabeth Borne, resigned this Monday (8), after 20 months in office, and the current Minister of Education, Gabriel Attal, emerges as the favorite to succeed her.
Through a statement, she made it clear that she did not leave due to her decision, but at the request of President Emmanuel Macron, who is facing a political crisis amid reforms in national legislation. “Mr. President, you have informed me of your desire to appoint a new prime minister. Although I must submit my resignation from my government, I would like to tell you how passionate I am about this mission,” Borne said in her resignation letter. The prime minister also highlighted that it was “more necessary than ever to continue the government's reforms”.
In response, Macron issued a note on his account on the social network X (formerly Twitter). “Your work in the service of our nation has been exemplary every day. You led our project with the courage, commitment and determination of a woman of state. Thank you from the bottom of my heart”, said the French president.
Strongly unpopular in public opinion polls, Macron is trying to revitalize his mandate and breathe new life into his policies a year and a half after being re-elected. Borne, after her period as prime minister and the second woman to lead a government in France, paid the price for a position in which she faced unpopular measures, such as pension reform and immigration law.
The latter, approved last month with the support of the right, caused a fragmentation of Macron's party, with great discontent from its left wing.
Borne was unable to find the parliamentary consensus necessary to approve the laws promoted by her government, which led her to frequently resort to an article in the Constitution that allows her to adopt them without the vote of deputies.
On the other hand, she was forced to face 30 motions of censure presented by the opposition, some of them won by small margins, like the one she overcame after the approval of the pension reform by just nine votes.
Even so, her position at the head of the government seemed compromised, but Macron chose to keep her in office on the condition that she managed to find the necessary compromises to avoid the country's paralysis.
Borne, 62 years old, from the Socialist Party and with a reputation as a skilled negotiator, was unable to attract either the left or the right opposition, a task that her successor will now have to face.
The Élysée Palace indicated that the current prime minister will continue to deal with current affairs until her successor takes office.
The Minister of Education, Gabriel Attal, is speculated to be the strongest name to take over as head of government, which, if confirmed, would make him, at 34 years old, the youngest prime minister in the history of France.
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