French president appoints Jean Castex as new PM

Paris: Jean Castex, a 55-year-old top civil servant not known to the French general public, was appointed new prime minister by President Emmanuel Macron to replace Edouard Philippe, the French presidential palace announced on Friday. Mr Castex, a member of the Republicans and former adviser of former President Nicolas Sarkozy, had been charged by Macron in April to oversee the country’s gradual exit from the coronavirus lockdown.

The new prime minister has never been a minister before but is familiar with several ministries.