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Poll shows third of French satisfied with Philippe nomination

Xinhua, May 16, 2017 Adjust font size:

One out of three respondents approved French President Emmanuel Macron's nomination of conservative lawyer Edouad Philippe as France's prime minister, a Harris Interactive-Atlantico survey for RMC radio showed on Tuesday.

A total of 32 percent of 1,011 interviewed people supported the appointment of Philippe as the new chief of the cabinet staff, while 57 percent said they did not know him enough to give their opinions over his nomination.

A day after being swore in himself, Macron picked Philippe as prime minister and charged him to form the government whose members will be unveiled Tuesday.

Philippe, 46, is currently mayor of France's northwestern city of Le Havre since 2010 and has been a conservative lawmaker since 2012.

He was the spokesman of moderate Alain Juppe during the right-center primary in November last year before joining the campaign of Republican nominee Francois Fillon.

Philippe started his political life as a Socialist member when he was a student before switching to the right. He has a diploma from ENA, a prestigious political university in France. He worked as public affairs director for the state nuclear group Areva between 2007 and 2010.

It is the first time in France's modern history that a president has named a prime minister from outside his party without being forced to do so by a defeat in legislative contest. This move may help Macron to win a majority in the upcoming parliamentary election. Endit