France
Government in Paris resigns – Macron hopes for a new start with new faces
Élisabeth Borne has been the head of government of French President Emmanuel Macron since May 2022
© Yoan Valat/EPA/AP/DPA
The dispute over immigration law in France also affected President Emmanuel Macron’s government camp. After internal disputes, the government is now resigning. Macron is now trying to restart.
The French centrist government of Prime Minister Élisabeth Borne has resigned. This was announced by the presidential palace in Paris. It was expected that President Emmanuel Macron is reorganizing the government after the recent difficulties with the immigration law. It was initially unclear when a new government would be formed and who would lead it. Borne has held the office of Prime Minister since mid-May 2022.
Immigration is tearing the Paris government apart
The dispute over the immigration law in mid-December had put Macron under pressure. Macron’s key plan was passed in a tremor after the government made massive concessions to the conservative Républicains. However, the stricter legal text caused severe tensions within the Macron camp.
20 MPs from Macron’s ranks voted against the text and 17 abstained. Health Minister Aurélien Rousseau subsequently resigned. According to rumors, other left-wing cabinet members had also considered leaving the government because of the text before the vote.
Emmanuel Macron has been without a majority for 18 months
The government under President Macron has been in the difficult situation of no longer having an absolute majority in the National Assembly for a year and a half. It is therefore dependent on votes from the opposition for its projects. Prime Minister Borne tried tirelessly to find compromises. However, the government did not find a reliable partner in parliament. Macron’s core project of pension reform was ultimately pushed through by the government without a final vote in the National Assembly.
It is expected that Macron will move forward with a renewed cabinet and hold his camp together, especially after the internal quarrels. After all, the European elections are coming up in the spring, in which Marine Le Pen’s right-wing nationalist party threatens to significantly overtake Macron’s troops.