Elisabeth Borne Becomes First Female Prime Minister of France in the Last 30 Years, Only Second in History

Elisabeth Borne has made history after French President Emmanuel Macron named her the country's new prime minister, becoming the first female to hold the position in the last 30 years and only the second in history.

Borne was previously the nation's labor minister and was named the new prime minister on Monday as Macron prepares for legislative elections scheduled in June. In her inauguration speech, the official said that she wanted to dedicate her nomination to all the little girls and let them know that they can pursue their dreams.

Elisabeth Borne

Macron, who was recently re-elected as France's president, has a need to show that he has listened to the frustrations of voters that have been apparent by low turnout and big support for the far right and far left. He has been looking for a premier with green and social policy credentials.

Such a profile could help Macron counter the challenge that was mounted by hard-left veteran Jean-Luc Melenchon. The latter achieved a strong third place in the presidential election which gives him the opportunity to rally a broad coalition of left-leaning parties in the June 12 to 19 parliamentary vote, as per Reuters.

Borne said in a brief inaugural address that France needed to act "faster and stronger" in order to properly fight against climate change. She also pledged to further work to protect the French's purchasing power, which is the top voter concern based on polls.

The 61-year-old will be the first woman to hold the position of France's prime minister in the last 30 years since Edit Cresson briefly occupied the office during the socialist presidency of Socialist leader Francois Mitterrand in the early 1990s. Cresson commented on the historic moment and said that it was time for another woman to come in and noted that Borne is a remarkable person with a lot of experience.

According to CNN, Borne will be replacing Jean Castex to become only the second woman in history to be France's prime minister since the end of World War II. The official also previously worked as the minister of the environment, transportation, and labor.

Prime Minister's Tasks

Borne is expected to lead a French government that is likely to be tasked with delivering on Macron's election campaign priorities, including retirement reform. On Monday, the Elysee Palace announced that Castex had already tendered his resignation.

Castex, the former mayor of his small hometown of Prades in southwest France, was a little-known figure when he became the country's prime minister in July 2020. He later went on to lead the nation's response to the coronavirus pandemic.

But Macron's choice of Borne to be prime minister was met with criticism from some left-wing politicians and their supporters. Melenchon said that the appointment marks a "new season of social and ecological mistreatment." He claimed in a Twitter post that her legacy amounted to a "reduction in the allowances of one million unemployed people."

Borne's first task will be to ensure that Macron's centrist party and its allies are able to do well in France's parliamentary election. The vote, which is scheduled for two rounds, will determine which group will hold the majority of seats at the National Assembly, which would give the final say over the Senate in the country's law-making process, the Associated Press reported.