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Jean Castex (L) from the center to the right replaces Edouard Philippe as part of the President’s reorganization
French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe resigned after heading the government of President Emmanuel Macron for three years.
The president quickly appointed center-right mayor Jean Castex to lead a new team of ministers after a reorganization.
Although Philippe was considered more popular than the president, the ruling party did poorly in local elections over the weekend.
President Macron promised a “new path” in an interview published on Friday.
Philippe met with the president early in the morning and they agreed that the government would resign.
A reorganization has been expected for some time, and it is common practice for a French president to replace a prime minister during the five-year term known as “quinquennat”.
The Elysee Palace said in a statement that Edouard Philippe “today handed over the government’s resignation to the President of the Republic, who accepted it,” adding that it would remain in place until a new government was appointed.
Who Is Jean Castex?
Castex, 55, is little known in France, but is a high-ranking official and has played a key role in the government’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic.
He seized the nickname “Mr. Desconfinement” after Philippe elected the mayor of the republican party of Prades in the Pyrenees to coordinate France’s strategy to lift the blockade.
He attended the same elite university as Macron and Philippe and, like Philippe, was previously a member of the right-wing Republican party.
Mr. Castex plans to give a television interview later on Friday.
Why is Macron changing his team?
Macron came to power three years ago, but is now facing an economic crisis after the coronavirus pandemic.
In an interview with regional newspapers, he spoke of a “very tough” recovery for France, and focused on the immediate priority of saving jobs, as well as economic, social and environmental reconstruction.
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Philippe’s future as prime minister had been in doubt for several weeks and he will now take over as mayor in Le Havre, after winning the local vote on Sunday.
A moving van and cardboard boxes were seen arriving at his Matignon residence on Friday, indicating that he was preparing to move out.
Why is Macron facing a difficult choice?
Amid the chaos of the coronavirus, President Macron spoke of “reinvention” and a “new path.” Few here doubted what a new government would mean.
Edouard Philippe fit in well with Macron during this crisis: a center-right technocrat who was seen as a steady hand during the coronavirus epidemic, but had begun to overshadow the President, a dangerous place to be at any time, much less a time that requires a change.
Macron faces a complex set of demands. On the one hand, he wants to “reinvent himself” for the past two years of his tenure, and has been projecting a softer version of himself; more open to listening and admitting mistakes, more focused on ecological issues and social justice.
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President Macron and Mr. Philippe have worked together in government for the past three years.
On the other hand, center-right votes are likely to be key to any reelection attempt and, after several years of pressing for their liberal economic reforms, an obvious change in tactics at this stage may seem less like a reinvention and more confusion.
Having promised a massive investment in France’s health service, committed to carrying out pension reforms, at least in some way, and facing the worst recession in France since World War II, Macron needs someone in who to trust, someone who can take control if necessary.
That is what the prime ministers must do. Edouard Philippe broke the rules. As he heads for the next presidential race, Macron doesn’t want to be overshadowed again.
“For three years he has been by my side … we have carried out important historical reforms, often in very difficult circumstances. We have a relationship of trust that is unique in terms of the French Republic,” said President Philippe in his interview in the newspaper.
Under the French constitution, the president appoints the prime minister to head the government and coordinate his actions according to the policies established by the head of state.
The new prime minister may be relatively unknown, but he has a lot of experience in the national government. Seen as a social conservative in the Republican Party, he was part of President Nicolas Sarkozy’s team at the Elysee Palace and served as a deputy to the health minister.
Why is France seeking change?
Macron’s young LREM party has struggled to maintain the initial support it garnered from voters after its 2017 presidential victory. Powered by ministerial resignations, it has also seen a series of defections in the National Assembly, losing its absolute majority in May.
The party failed to win any major cities in Sunday’s local elections, in which the green candidates and their left-wing allies made significant gains.
An opinion poll for Le Figaro and France Info on Thursday suggested that three-quarters of French voters were seeking a political change from the president.
Although many of the respondents wanted a greater focus on social and environmental change, 59% were happy that Philippe stayed on at his job.
