Elisabeth Borne

The former labour minister was sworn in to replace Jean Castex on Tuesday, 30 years after the first woman was appointed to the position. She was hand-picked by ...

She said her own story symbolised the integration of refugees in France. “Nothing should stop the fight for women’s place in our society.” She is considered a workaholic who rarely takes time off from her duties. In a tweet, she thanked Mr Macron “for his trust and the honour he gives me by appointing me prime minister”. She also paid tribute to her predecessor, Mr Castex, “for his action over the past two years”. “She is a remarkable person, with great experience in the public and private sectors … She's a very good choice because she's a remarkable person, not because she's a woman.” After being appointed as the first female prefect of the western region of Poitou-Charentes, Ms Borne harked back to her family's history as refugees when she signed her first decree of French naturalisation to obtain citizenship.