France’s President Macron appoints Edouard Philippe as new prime minister

French President Emmanuel Macron has appointed Edouard Philippe as France’s new prime minister.

Philippe, the mayor of Le Havre in Northern France, will replace Bernard Cazeneuve who assumed office in late 2016 under Francois Hollande’s presidency. The appointment is Macron’s first major decision as president and will be critical to his future success.

The prime minister, who presides over government, will be instrumental in rallying support to help Macron form a parliamentary majority in next month’s elections. Without such backing, Macron would struggle to implement his economic reform agenda.

Macron is expected to announce his full government line up on Tuesday.