France's environment minister and third most senior member of the government has announced his resignation live on French radio - without informing the president or prime minister.
In an interview on Tuesday to public radio broadcaster France Inter, Nicolas Hulot announced that he was stepping down, adding that he had not informed president Emmanuel Macron or his prime minister, Edouard Philippe, of his decision.
Hulot said that he was disillusioned by his own inability but, above all, that of society at large to change the prevailing paradigm that has been so damaging to the environment.
"I have a profound admiration for Emmanuel Macron and Edouard Philippe," he said, adding that he did not want his decision to quit the government to be used to attack the government.
"I will take for the first time the hardest decision of my life. I do not want to lie to myself anymore. I do not want to give the illusion that my presence in the government means that we are up to this challenge. And therefore I take the decision to quit the government today," Hulot said.
He added that his decision stemmed from an accumulation of disappointments and above all from a lack of faith in what he was doing.
Hulot, a former television presenter and campaigner for environmental causes, was considered a coup for Macron's cabinet when he was appointed.
Share
