Castex set to cast new light on Macron's vision for France
Newly-anointed French prime minister Jean Castex will give his first major interview since replacing Edouard Philippe to the state broadcaster TF1 at 8pm on Friday.
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Castex, 55, is credited with orchestrating the country’s successful emergence from a three-month lockdown due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The former adviser to President Nicolas Sarkozy is expected to tell TF1 presenter Anne-Claire Coudray that the government will shift its focus for the two remaining years of Emmanuel Macron’s presidency.
A ministerial reshuffle is scheduled less than a week after ecology parties swept to power in local elections several large cities.
Rethink
Macron has responded to the electoral debacle for his LreM party by urging a new path to address social and economic issues.
Castex, considered an expert in those fields, is thought to possess the savvy to construct a plausible set of policies.
Philippe, 49, left after three years as premier with his popularity high, according to French poll institutes.
Many French people believe he did good job in gradually relaxing virus-related restrictions and overseeing aid to the lockdown-affected French economy.
Before the coronavirus pandemic, Macron had come under fire for his policies. Critics said they favoured the wealthy and the business classes.
His proposals for a revamp of the pension system sparked nationwide protests and strikes. Those grievances may start to resurface after the summer holiday season.
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