France's prime minister has resigned, and Emmanuel Macron is preparing for a major reshuffle of his cabinet

French Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne handed in her resignation letter to President Emmanuel Macron on Monday.Amid rumors of a deep government reshuffle to give oxygen to the centrist leader's second term.

“Madam Prime Minister, dear Elisabeth Borne, your work in the service of our nation is exemplary every day (…) Thank you with all my heart,” Macron wrote on the social network X after accepting his resignation.

Bourne, a technical civil servant, became She is the second woman to become the Prime Minister of the Government of FranceUntil 2027 after Macron is elected for a second term.

But his 20 months as head of a government without an absolute majority in parliament was marked by high political tension, including a pension reform imposed by decree and an episode of urban riots in mid-2023.

However, in December approval of A Immigration reformThe government tightened its grip on right-wing support, splitting the ruling party, especially as the far-right celebrated the “ideological victory” of the new law.

Bourne was unable to find the consensus necessary to approve his government's laws, which forced him to frequently resort to an article in the constitution that allowed them to pass without a vote of the delegates.

On the other hand, the opposition was forced to pass 30 resolutions of condemnation, some of them winning by narrow margins, such as passing the pension reform after approving it by nine votes.

Even then, his position at the head of the government seemed compromised, but Macron wanted to keep her in office on the condition that she knew how to find the necessary agreements to avoid paralyzing the country..

In his resignation letter, it was discussed AFPBourne, 62, felt it was “more necessary than ever to continue reform”.

Elysee pointed out that the current prime minister will handle current affairs until he is replaced.

Against a backdrop of increasingly right-wing public opinion, even from the center-left, the election of Bourne's successor is crucial to maintaining the fragile balance of Macron's centrist coalition.

Among the possible successors, the education minister appears to be the favorite, Gabriel Atal, according to sources close to the executive. At 34, he became the youngest head of government of the French Republic and the first openly gay.

Elections to the European Parliament in June 2024 will act as a thermometer in the restructuring. Marine Le Pen's far-right National Rally party leads with 27% of the vote, followed by Macron's party (19%) in a mid-December poll.

(With information from AFP and EFE)