Why are French ministers resigning en masse?

Last week’s stepping down of the Environment minister Francois de Rugy marks 15th resignation of Macron’s cabinet. 

In order to contest a seat for the next year's local elections, it is expected to further resignations among ministers. 

A month after  Macron’s coming the office in Elysee Palace,  four ministers resigned. Minister of Territorial Cohesion Richard Ferrand resigned on June 19, 2017, after an investigation was opened against him for abuse of public spending in his previous official post.

Just a few days after his resignation, Ferrand was officially elected as leader of governing La Republique En Marche(REM) group in the National Assembly.

Defense Minister Sylvie Goulard left the cabinet on June 20, 2017 due to a preliminary investigation into the judiciary on charges of irregularity with members of the European Parliament (EP) of the Democracy Movement (MoDem).

One day later from Goulard’s stepping down , Justice Minister Francois Bayrou resigned. 

Bayrou linked his resignation to an investigation into the alleged corruption in the salaries given to European Parliament members' advisory cadres from the MoDem movement, which Macron allied and led in the general election of the president and deputy.

The same day, another minister parted ways with Macron. Marielle de Sarnez, then the Minister for European Affairs , resigned after appearing her showing a person in the European Parliament as an advisor with false documents.

The Minister of Environment Nicolas Hulot, who is also a popular figure in civil society, announced on 28 August 2018 his resignation from a live broadcast program because he was not in line with Macron on ecology and the environment.

Hulot’s departure from the Macron’s cabinet was considered one of the major blows for the president’s credibility on the environmental issues.

Just a week after Hulot's resignation, Sports Minister Laura Flessel resigned on September 4, 2018, citing personal reasons.

François de Rugy, who was appointed to replace Hulot, was forced to leave the cabinet last week, following the emergence of the offering luxury dinner invitations with the parliament’s budget.”

After De Rugy, the Transport Minister Elisabeth Borne was appointed as 3rd Minister of Environment of Macron’s two year-long presidency.

Gerard Collomb, who was appointed Minister of the Interior after the presidential elections when he was Mayor of Lyon, after working for one year and four months, he resigned on 3 October 2018 to be a candidate for Mayor of Lyon in next year's local elections.

Macron parted ways with Culture Minister Françoise Nyssen, Minister of Agriculture Stephane Travert, Minister of Integration Jacques Mezard and State Minister for Economic Affairs Delphine Geny-Stephann on October 16, 2018.

On March 27, three more ministers left the cabinet. EU Minister Nathalie Loiseau resigned to compete in local elections, with Government Spokesperson the EP elections Benjamin Griveaux and State Minister for Digital Development Mounir Mahjoubi.