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Prime Minister Édouard Philippe submitted his resignation and that of his government on Friday and President Emmanuel Macron has accepted, the Élysée Palace said in a statement.

The Élysée said that Philippe would handle government affairs until a new cabinet was named, according to France 24.

A cabinet reshuffle had been widely expected after Macron vowed to chart a new course for the last two years of his term. It comes less than a week after a green wave swept over France in local elections, when Macron saw his young centrist party being defeated in France’s biggest cities and failing to plant local roots across the country, underscoring Macron's troubles with left-leaning voters. The reshuffle is seen as a move designed to bolster the president’s green credentials and win back disillusioned voters ahead of a possible re-election bid.

In French government reshuffles, the prime minister tenders his or her resignation ahead of cabinet appointments but can then be re-appointed to the position.

Questions over Philippe's position have swirled since mid-June, when Macron declared he wanted to "reinvent" his presidency.