Elisabeth Borne appointed as France`s new prime minister

Centrist politician Elisabeth Borne has been appointed as France's new prime minister, becoming only the second woman in history to hold the post.

Macron and Borne are expected to appoint a new French government in the coming days.

Borne, 61, the labor minister in French President Emmanuel Macron's previous government, succeeds Jean Castex, whose resignation on Monday was expected after Macron's reelection last month to a second five-year term.

Borne spoke soon after her appointment, noting the emotions she felt at being selected for the highest office a woman has ever held in French political leadership.

“I would like to dedicate this nomination to all the little girls by telling them Go after your dreams!' Nothing should stop the fight for the place of women in our society,” she said.

Macron's choice of Borne was criticized by some left-wing politicians and their supporters. Firebrand far-left leader Jean-Luc Melenchon said her appointment marks “a new season of social and ecological mistreatment,” claiming on Twitter that her legacy amounted to “a reduction in the allowances of 1 million unemployed people.”