AFP
France's newly appointed Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne waves during a handover ceremony in the courtyard of the Hotel Matignon, French Prime ministers' official residence, in Paris on May 16.
President Emmanuel Macron on Monday named Labour Minister Elisabeth Borne as prime minister to lead his ambitious reform plans, the first woman to head the French government in over 30 years.
Outgoing Prime Minister Jean Castex earlier handed his resignation to the president, part of a widely expected reshuffle to make way for a new government in the wake of Macron's reelection in April.
The last woman premier, Edith Cresson, briefly headed the Cabinet from May 1991 to April 1992 under President Francois Mitterrand.
Ending weeks of speculation, the Elysee confirmed Borne's nomination in a statement and she then headed to the Matignon residence of the premier in Paris for the handover with Castex.
The departure of Castex, who was a surprise choice for the role in 2020, enables Macron to reshape the Cabinet ahead of crucial parliamentary polls in June. The new government under Borne is expected to be announced in the next few days.
The centrist Macron will need a legislative majority to push through his domestic agenda following his reelection, with a new left-wing alliance and the far-right threatening to block his program.
Speculation has been rife in recent weeks about Castex's replacement, with Macron indicating he wanted a woman with left-wing and environmental credentials.
Those criteria reflect his desire to focus on schools and health in the early part of his second term, as well as the climate crisis which he has promised to prioritize.
'High time'
Borne, 61, is seen as an able technocrat who can negotiate prudently with unions, as the president embarks on a new package of social reforms that notably include a rise in the retirement age which risks sparking protests.
A French presidential official, who asked not to be named, described Borne as a woman of "conviction, action and realization," noting her "capacity to carry out reforms."
"It was high time there was another woman," Cresson, who knows Borne personally, told BFM-TV.
"She is a remarkable person, with great experience in the public and private sectors... She's a very good choice because she's a remarkable person, not because she's a woman," she added.
She expressed amazement that it had taken France – which has never had a female head of state – so long to have another woman prime minister.
"France is very behind – not the French population but the political class," added Cresson, who was the target of numerous sexist attacks during her time in office.