French President Macron has appointed Labor Minister Élisabeth Borne as the new prime minister. The left-wing politician knows how to push through reforms even in the face of resistance.
France has a woman at the head of government for the first time in 30 years. President Emmanuel Macron appointed Labor Minister Élisabeth Borne (61) as the new prime minister on Monday.
Borne has long been close to the Socialists and in 2017 joined the La République en Marche party, which was newly founded by the liberal Macron.
Borne succeeds Prime Minister Jean Castex, who previously submitted his resignation with his government. The step is considered a formality in France after a presidential election. Macron was re-elected for a second term a good three weeks ago. Edith Cresson was the first and only woman Prime Minister of France, who held the office from May 1991 to April 1992.
Borne, who was born in Paris, graduated from an engineering college and worked for many years in various ministries as well as for the state railway SNCF and the Paris public transport company. In 2017 she first became Associate Minister, then Minister for Ecological Transition in 2019 and Minister for Labor in 2020.
Narrow election victory
In the second round of the election, Macron defeated the right-wing EU critic Marine Le Pen by a narrower margin than his camp wanted. The election result was also an indication of the crumbling support that the head of state enjoys among the population. Many in the country are disappointed or frustrated by his policies. Because the next hurdle for Macron is the parliamentary elections in a month’s time, it is important for the liberal to appeal to both left-wing and conservative voters with a new government under the new prime minister.
Macron had long indicated that he would like to put a woman at the head of his new government. Borne is in line with his desire to fill the post with a person who feels committed to social issues, environmental challenges and productivity. Borne is considered a competent, loyal and discreet manager with a knowledge of human nature who is less interested in political games and more in knowledge of dossiers and topics. She is described as a “good technician”.
Borne has repeatedly demonstrated in recent times that he can push through reforms even against resistance, a quality that is likely to become very important for Macron in France, which is prone to strikes and protests. Despite violent protests and strikes, Borne pushed through reforms at French railways in 2018. As of 2020, pension reform and unemployment insurance reform were on her to-do list. While the controversial pension reform was postponed due to the Corona crisis, the changes to unemployment insurance were implemented.
“I’m a leftist woman. Social justice and equal opportunities are the struggles of my life,” said the new prime minister in a recent interview. “Helping everyone to emancipate themselves through work is a leftist value.”
Source: Stern
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