French govt resigns as Macron vows ‘new course’

PARIS: The French government resigned Friday ahead of a cabinet reshuffle that President Emmanuel Macron says will set out a ‘new course’ as the country grapples with the fallout of the coronavirus pandemic.

A government source confirmed to AFP that Prime Minister Edouard Philippe would be leaving his job after serving Macron since the president came to power in 2017 elections.

However, there was still no firm clue over who a successor might be, with the replacement also facing the task of rescuing the fortunes of the ruling party following a stinging defeat in local elections at the weekend.

Macron, who has pursued ambitious economic reforms since coming to office in 2017, has already admitted that the recession caused by the health crisis would require the government to shift tack.

In an interview with regional newspapers published late Thursday, Macron said France must prepare for a ‘very difficult’ economic crisis, ‘so we have to chart a new course.’

“I see this based on an economic, social, environmental and cultural reconstruction. Behind this, there will be a new team,” he said.

An Elysee Palace official told AFP that a new prime minister would be named “in the coming hours,” and possibly the new cabinet cast as well. — AFP