Senior bureaucrat and centre-right mayor Jean Castex was named the new Prime Minister of France by President Emmanuel Macron on 3rd July 2020.
The incumbent Prime Minister Edouard Philippe had tendered his resignation after a poor show in the local elections. He resigned after heading the government for three years and will take up the role of the mayor of Le Havre after he won the local vote.
Castex, a career civil servant, coordinated the reopening strategy in France after almost two months of lockdown due to the coronavirus. And this strategy has widely been considered a success.
The President’s young centrist party – La République en Marche (LREM) – faced a massive drubbing at the local elections held recently, which saw the Green party and most of its left-wing allies make considerable gains. This move is seen by many as one to win back the voters and handle the deep recession that is impending due to the coronavirus pandemic.
There was little doubt that the President would choose a new Prime Minister.
In an interview with regional newspapers published last week, Macron admitted that France must prepare for a “very difficult” economic crisis, “so we have to chart a new course … based on economic, social, environmental and cultural reconstruction. Behind this, there will be a new team.”
Will this move help Macron, who is due for reelection in 2022? What do you think? Let us know your views in the comments section below.
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