Prime Minister Élisabeth Borne submitted the resignation of her government to Emmanuel Macron, who accepted it and thanked her on X (formerly Twitter). “Your work in the service of our Nation has been exemplary every day. You have implemented our project with the courage, commitment and determination of women of state. With all my heart, thank you,” greeted the president.
Madam Prime Minister, dear @Elisabeth_Borne, your work in the service of our Nation has been exemplary every day. You implemented our project with the courage, commitment and determination of women of states. With all my heart, thank you. pic.twitter.com/G26ifKfKzj
— Emmanuel Macron (@EmmanuelMacron) January 8, 2024
The Prime Minister is therefore leaving her post after more than a year and a half at Matignon. In her resignation letter, the former head of government considers it “more necessary than ever to continue reforms”. Élisabeth Borne and her team will take care of day-to-day affairs until the appointment of the new government.
The main information to remember:
- Élisabeth Borne submitted the resignation of the government to Emmanuel Macron, who accepted it
- Gabriel Attal is the favorite to replace her
- The names of Sébastien Lecornu and Julien Denormandie are also mentioned, but the current Minister of Education seems to be one step ahead
- Concerning the rest of the government team, several ministers are threatened, in particular those resistant to the Immigration law
What roadmap for the next Prime Minister
The new head of government will have the task of reuniting his fractured majority after the vote on the immigration law. He will also, and above all, have to give new impetus to the five-year term, with a fairly light legislative agenda. For the moment, only texts on the end of life or the constitutionalization of abortion appear on the program. Finally, the new Prime Minister will, as majority leader, have to campaign for the presidential party list in the European elections. A list which, at this stage, appears far behind that of the National Rally in the polls.
What to expect in the next few hours?
Officially, the President of the Republic must appoint by decree the successor of Elisabeth Borne, who will then submit profiles to the Head of State to constitute his new government. So many names which must, beforehand, be validated by the High Authority for the Transparency of Public Life. The identity of the new head of government could give some clues about the composition of the new executive team, even if, in fact, Emmanuel Macron keeps control and should decide himself on the outgoing ministers, as well as the incoming ones.
Why is Gabriel Attal the favorite?
The appointment of Gabriel Attal would mark a break with the profile of a weak Prime Minister, a simple collaborator sought until now by Emmanuel Macron. The current Minister of National Education is ambitious and appears to be a credible candidate for 2027. Known to the general public, he is also the member of the government most popular with the French, according to polls. His arrival would therefore bring a breath of fresh air to Matignon a few months before the European elections.
This would also testify to Emmanuel Macron’s desire to refocus on his inner circle of followers, very close to the Head of State. In Le Parisien, ten days ago, Gabriel Attal, present in the government practically at the start of the new five-year term, indicated that he owed “absolutely everything” to the head of state.
Elisabeth Borne judges “more necessary than ever to continue reforms”
Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne estimated Monday that it was “more necessary than ever to continue reforms”, in her resignation letter given to Emmanuel Macron and consulted by AFP. “While I must present the resignation of my government, I wanted to tell you how passionate I was about this mission, guided by the constant concern, which we share, to achieve rapid and tangible results for our fellow citizens. “, wrote Élisabeth Borne, noting the “will” of the Head of State to “appoint a new Prime Minister”.
Elisabeth Borne meets her cabinet at 6 p.m.
According to information from Europe 1, Élisabeth Borne gathered her cabinet this Monday at 6 p.m. in Matignon.
Who are the contenders for Matignon?
If it turns out that Elisabeth Borne will no longer be tenant of Matignon in the coming hours, several names are circulating to succeed her. Julien Denormandie, former minister and deputy director of his cabinet when he was at Bercy, but also Sébastien Lecornu, member of the president’s inner circle, and Gabriel Attal, current Minister of National Education.