Élisabeth Borne, born on April eighteenth, nineteen sixty-one, is a prominent French politician and civil engineer who made history by serving as the Prime Minister of France from May twenty twenty-two to January twenty twenty-four. She became the second woman to hold this esteemed position, the first in three decades, and is a key member of President Emmanuel Macron's party, Renaissance.
Before her tenure as Prime Minister, Borne held several significant ministerial roles, including Minister of Transport from twenty seventeen to twenty nineteen, and Minister of Ecology from twenty nineteen to twenty twenty. She was appointed Minister of Labour, Employment, and Integration in the Castex government, serving from twenty twenty to twenty twenty-two, where she focused on labor reforms and employment initiatives.
Upon her appointment as Prime Minister, Borne led the centrist Ensemble coalition into the twenty twenty-two legislative election, which resulted in a hung parliament. Despite a reduction in seats from three hundred forty-six to two hundred fifty-one, her coalition emerged as the largest bloc. However, she was unable to secure a stable majority, leading to the formation of a minority government in July twenty twenty-two.
During her premiership, Borne oversaw significant reforms, including a contentious pension system reform that raised the retirement age from sixty-two to sixty-four. She also managed the repeal of most Covid-era health restrictions and introduced a multi-year military planning law, which aimed for a forty percent increase in military spending between twenty twenty-four and twenty thirty. Amidst a cost-of-living crisis, she reshuffled her cabinet in July twenty twenty-three, demonstrating her commitment to governance during challenging times.
On January eighth, twenty twenty-four, Borne resigned at Macron's request amid a government crisis linked to a hardline immigration bill. Following her departure from Matignon, she returned to her role as a Member of Parliament for Calvados, successfully retaining her seat in the snap election of twenty twenty-four. In December twenty twenty-four, she rejoined the cabinet as Minister of National Education, Higher Education, and Research, continuing her influential career in French politics.