French Interior Minister Gerard Collomb has submitted his resignation to President Emmanuel Macron, according to spokeswomen from the Elysee Palace and the Interior Ministry.
Collomb, a early ally of Macron, resigned so he could run for mayor in his hometown of Lyon, an Interior Ministry spokeswoman said.
He is the third and most senior Cabinet member to resign from Macron’s government in the last six weeks, following Minister of Sports Laura Flessel and Environment Minister Nicolas Hulot, who announced his resignation during a live radio interview, citing his disapproval of government policies and efforts to tackle climate change.
In a statement, Collomb said that the “French people and the people of Lyon need clarity.”
“I’ve done a lot during my time as minister. But today considering the rumors and the pressure, I don’t want the fact that I will be a candidate somewhere tomorrow to affect the way forward for the Interior Ministry,” said Collomb. “So I maintain my offer to resign.”