Culture Minister Rachida Dati, the right-wing candidate for mayor of Paris, submitted her resignation on Wednesday to the President of the Republic, Emmanuel Macron, who accepted it. Dati was among the few who maintained their positions despite all government reshuffles since January 2024, despite prosecutions on corruption charges.

Published on: 02/26/2026 - 07:07

Rachida Dati announced on Wednesday that she was relinquishing the portfolio of the Ministry of Culture, after submitting her resignation from the government to President Emmanuel Macron, on Wednesday, in order to devote herself to “fighting the battle of her life” in the municipal elections in Paris.

Just two and a half weeks before the first session, the right-wing candidate explained that she had handed over “the morning of her resignation to the President of the Republic,” confirming in a statement to French media that she was determined to “change Paris and the lives of Parisians.”

A statement issued by the Elysee Palace said that the Head of State "thanked her for the useful work she had done in serving the French during the past two years, and directed his full encouragement to her in the battle she is waging."

For her part, Dati wrote in a statement conveyed by her team at the Ministry of Culture: “I leave these responsibilities with deep respect and great gratitude to everyone who contributes daily to reviving our country’s cultural policy,” stressing that culture represents “a fundamental pillar of our national cohesion.”

France 24 / AFP

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