Europe | Time for a reboot

France’s President Emmanuel Macron mulls a reshuffle

Some think he will ditch his prime minister

|PARIS

WHEN EMMANUEL MACRON ran for president in 2017 as a first-time campaigner, sceptics repeatedly asked: but which party would he govern with? The 39-year-old had no deputies, few allies and a new-born movement. Against the odds, he went on to crush the established parties and secure a parliamentary majority for his centrist La République en Marche (LREM). Three years later, however, the cracks are showing. Mr Macron’s party has lost its absolute majority, and is facing disaster in coming local elections. The president is again struggling in the polls. As he searches for a way to reboot his presidency, Mr Macron could even decide to change his prime minister, Edouard Philippe (pictured), before the summer is out.

This article appeared in the Europe section of the print edition under the headline “Time for a reboot”

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