French president appoints Elisabeth Borne as new PM

File photo taken on May 7, 2022 shows Elisabeth Borne arriving at the presidential Elysee palace for the investiture ceremony of Emmanuel Macron as French President in Paris, France. French President Emmanuel Macron on Monday named Elisabeth Borne as the country's new prime minister. (Xinhua/Gao Jing)

PARIS, May 16 (Xinhua) -- French President Emmanuel Macron on Monday named Elisabeth Borne as the country's new prime minister.

Borne, 61, is a former minister of transport, ecology and labor. She is the second woman to hold the position after Edith Cresson (1991-1992) under President Francois Mitterrand.

Borne succeeds Jean Castex, who had led the French cabinet since July 2020 and resigned earlier on Monday. The government reshuffle has been expected since April 24, when Macron won the presidential election against far-right leader Marine Le Pen. His second five-year term officially kicked off on Saturday.

A long-time member of the Socialist Party (PS), Borne voted for Macron in the 2017 presidential election and later joined the centrist La Republique en Marche party. ■