French prime minister resigns, reshuffle expected

French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe has resigned as a government reshuffle is expected in the coming days, the French presidency announced Friday.

The statement didn't say whether Philippe will be replaced or will stay on as the head of a new government.

President Emmanuel Macron is seeking to open a new chapter for the two remaining years of his term that will focus on efforts to relaunch the French economy deeply hit by the coronavirus crisis.

The reshuffle comes days after a green wave swept over France in local elections. Macron saw his young centrist party being defeated in France's biggest cities and failing to plant local roots across the country.

The reshuffle was planned even before the voting, as Macron's government faced obstacles and criticism before Sunday's election and during the virus crisis.