French prime minister Edouard Philippe and his government resign

Prime Minister of France, Edouard Philippe, 49, and his government have submitted their resignations

The Élysée Palace announced that Philippe submitted his government’s resignation but would remain as head of an interim government until a new cabinet is named.

No reason for his resignation was not given in the short statement issued on Friday, July 3, but a cabinet shuffle had been widely expected after President Emmanuel Macron promised a reshuffle for the last two years of his term.

The Élysée statement said: “Mr Édouard Philippe has today handed his resignation from the government to the president of the republic who has accepted it. He will remain, with other members of the government, to deal with current matters until the nomination of a new government.”

Philippe, 49, was appointed in 2017 after Macron’s presidential election victory. At the time he was a member of the centre-right Les Républicains (LR) party.

The announcement of Philippe’s resignation comes days after he was re-elected mayor of Le Havre with a large majority