Sharjah24 - AFP: French Prime Minister Jean Castex is expected to tender his resignation on Monday to President Emmanuel Macron and make way for a new government that looks set to be headed by a woman for the first time in more than 30 years.
The departure of Castex, who was a surprise choice for the role in 2020, will enable newly re-elected Macron to reshape the cabinet ahead of crucial parliamentary polls in June.
The centrist will need a parliamentary majority to push through his domestic agenda following his re-election, with a new left-wing alliance and the far-right threatening to block his programme.
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 prioritise.
UNESCO director-general Audrey Azoulay, current Labour Minister Elisabeth Borne and latterly Catherine Vautrin, a little-known politician from the Champagne region, have been named as frontrunners.
But commentators have warned that Macron, who is known to relish political surprises, could pull an entirely unexpected name out of the hat.
The process would commence with Castex presenting his resignation to Macron at around 1400 GMT, French television channel BFM-TV reported.
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