PARIS: According to his entourage, French President Emmanuel Macron may select a new prime minister as early as Monday in an effort to give his cabinet, which has drawn harsh criticism, a fresh start.
Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne’s position has been precarious since a Macron-backed immigration plan was defeated in parliament last month. After a great deal of controversy and pressure from the center-right opposition, it was finally passed.
Borne and Macron met on Sunday night. Macron is also dealing with an increasing threat from the far-right National Rally of Marine Le Pen.
According to his office, the conversation focused on the impending nationwide freeze and the flooding in northern France, but analysts speculated that they also probably talked about the much-expected government overhaul.
The centrist leader Francois Bayrou, who played a significant role in Macron’s early electoral win in 2017, stated on BFM television that “a change is necessary” in the composition of the government.
In the French system, the prime minister is in charge of managing the government on a day-to-day basis, meaning that they are frequently the ones who suffer when an administration faces difficulties. The president establishes overall policy.
Borne, 62, is France’s second female prime minister. In her 20 months in office, she has passed 30 new legislation pertaining to immigration and pension reforms and dispelled earlier concerns about her future.
However, in order to revitalize the administration, Macron has conferred over the past week with important individuals such as Bayrou, Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire, and former Prime Minister Edouard Philippe. Nevertheless, it didn’t seem like any final decisions had been made prior to the meeting with Borne.
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The president is “finalizing his choices,” according to a senior advisor to Macron, and “things will move at the start of the week, probably with a new prime minister Monday.” A second advisor stated that Macron is “in a hurry”.
However, the president’s associate made the following observation: “Everything is possible, including doing nothing.” Thus, Borne would still be able to work.
Sebastien Lecornu, the 37-year-old minister of the armed forces, and Julien Denormandie, the 43-year-old former minister of agriculture who has been close to Macron for ten years, are the front-runners to replace her.
Selecting one of the two runs the risk of escalating conflict inside Macron’s movement. Macron has had Denormandie by his side since the beginning of his presidential campaign. Later on, Lecornu defected from the center-right Republicans party.
Macron’s party does not hold a majority in parliament and is already divided over the immigration law, which was made extremely strict in order to get the backing of The Republicans.
A request to protest the law on January 21 was made on Sunday by about 200 French intellectuals, performers, and union leaders, who described it as a “dangerous turn for the Republic.”
In 2014, Denormandie and Macron nearly started a start-up before Macron was appointed President Francois Hollande’s deputy chief of staff and Macron became the minister of economy. Since 2022, Denormandie has been employed in the private sector.
Following in the footsteps of two former prime ministers, Philippe and Jean Castex, who both left The Republicans, Lecornu joined Macron in 2017.
Macron has benefited from Lecornu’s close advisorship as he applies his municipal and regional government experience. Though “we are maybe moving too quick to condemn” Borne, a close advisor said.
