French government resigns, Macron sets 'new course'Edouard Philippe Philippe has served as prime minister of France for three years. 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. 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." 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. But while Philippe's approval ratings have surged over his handling of the coronavirus crisis, Macron was widely expected to try to burnish his social justice credentials with a more centrist or leftwing premier.

Source: Bangkok Post July 03, 2020 10:41 UTC