Gerard Collomb's resignation has been seen as a major blow to French President Emmanuel Macron. The former mayor of Lyon once described his relationship with Macron as similar to father and son.
Image: Reuters/G. Fuentes
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French President Emmanuel Macron accepted the resignation of his interior minister on Tuesday, after initially refusing to less than 24 hours earlier.
But Collomb came under increasing pressure to step down as critics complained that his priorities had already shifted towards the campaign trail, and he made an initial attempt to resign Monday, only to be denied by Macron.
Macron's office on Monday said the president had vetoed Collomb's resignation attempt because of "his confidence" in the 71-year-old. But Collomb on Tuesday had said he still intended to quit.
"The French people and the people of Lyon need clarity, so I maintain my offer to resign," Collomb responded when asked if he would stay on as interior minister after Macron initially turned down his resignation.
"Considering the rumors and the pressure, I don't want the fact I will be a candidate somewhere tomorrow to affect the way forward for the interior ministry," he said.
Collomb previously served as Lyon mayor for 16 years until Macron poached him for his Interior Ministry.
Prime Minister Edouard Philippe, who reportedly cancelled a trip to South Africa, will take over Collomb's responsibilities until a replacement is found.
A soured relationship
Collomb has previously compared his relationship with Macron, 31 years his junior, as being akin to a father and son. He cried during Macron's inauguration in May 2017.
The former bodyguard was filmed roughing up protesters while wearing a police helmet, in a scandal that gained momentum once it was revealed that senior officials knew about the incident.
During a parliamentary inquiry, Collomb had put the blame on Macron's office, saying that it was their responsibility to report the incident to prosecutors.
Far-right National Rally leader Marine Le Pen tweeted about the stability of Macron's government following the acceptance of Collomb's resignation.
"Gerard Collomb has resigned again. How long is this sketch going to last?" Le Pen wrote.
That was followed by another popular member of the cabinet, former Olympic fencing champion Laura Flessel, who resigned as sports minister for "personal reasons."
Emmanuel Macron: A man of culture
The French president is leaving his mark on the cultural scene, making bold suggestions for the future of French and European culture. DW takes a look as Macron receives the Charlemagne Prize for EU unity in Germany.
Image: Getty Images/AFP/P. Stollarz
Honored for his European vision
On May 10, French President Emmanuel Macron received the Charlemagne Prize for European Unity in the German city of Aachen. The prize's board of directors said they chose to honor Macron "in recognition of his vision of a new Europe" and his "decisive stance" against nationalism and isolationism. Since entering office one year ago, Macron has unabashedly pushed for European cohesion and EU reform.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/I. Fassbender
Charlemagne, father of Europe
The city of Aachen's Charlemagne Prize is named after the important medieval ruler who became the first Holy Roman Emperor (747-814). Under his leadership the Frankish Empire expanded to become a great power, abosrbing parts of present-day Germany. France and Germany are not the only entities to claim him as a forefather; during his lifetime, he was known as "Pater Europae," or "Father of Europe."
Image: picture alliance/dpa/R. Goldmann
Keynote speech at the Sorbonne
Macron delivered his message to the perfect audience when he spoke to students at the Sorbonne University in Paris in September 2017. In a speech focused on the EU, he emphasized the advantages of Europe's many different languages. Macron, who speaks English fluently, also said he would like to see every European master at least two European languages by the age of 24.
Image: Getty Images/AFP/L. Marin
Supporting cultural education
It was one of Macron's central campaign promises: after turning 18, French youths will receive a one-off payment of €500 ($594) from the French state. Known as a "Culture Pass," the money is supposed to help the teens take advantage of cultural offerings according to their own preferences — whether this means a Spotify subscription, a trip to Barcelona or season tickets to the theater.
Image: AFP/Getty Images/L. Marin
Honored by the literary world
The president was the guest of honor at the opening of the Frankfurt Book Fair in October 2017, which focused on French culture, literature and language. In his speech, Macron underlined the very positive literary relations between his home nation and Germany. Both countries would benefit from one another's literary output for centuries, he said.
Image: picture-alliance/SvenSimon/E. Kremser
Mona Lisa on tour?
Leonardo da Vinci's famous oil painting may get lent out to a Louvre branch in Lens, northern France, as part of Macron's push to decentralize French culture. If that actually happens, the Paris Louvre would lose its daily horde of visitors seeking to get a glimpse of the famous mysteriously smiling woman. In addition, simply transporting the painting would cost some €35 million ($41.6 million).
Image: imago/imagebroker
African cultural heritage
In November 2017 Macron gave a speech in Burkina Faso in which he called for European nations to return cultural heritage pieces that had been obtained during the colonial era. His words unleashed heated debate in Paris and Berlin. Despite his urging, the Berlin Humboldt Forum cultural center (above), set to open in 2019, said it would still include some 75,000 African exhibits in its collection.
