French President Francois Hollande has sacked his environment minister Delphine Batho (pictured right) for describing this year’s belt-tightening budget as a “bad” one for her ministry.
Batho, whose ministry’s budget was cut by 7%, is the first minister in the Socialist government to be axed for criticising policy.
She is being replaced by Socialist lawmaker Philippe Martin.
The 40-year-old was earlier summoned by Prime Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault.
French ministers are traditionally not supposed to criticise policy decisions publicly even if they are personally opposed to them.
However, the outspoken Minister for Industrial Renewal, Arnaud Montebourg, has not been dropped despite criticising his peers several times and even questioning economic policy.
The sacking comes amid efforts by Paris to bring its budget deficit down to European Union norms.