Hollande appoints new French Prime Minister

French President François Hollande has chosen centrist Interior Minister Manuel Valls as his new prime minister.

The 51-year-old has been compared to former British premier Tony Blair both for his pro-business ideas and some would say dashing style.

He replaces Jean-Marc Ayrault who quit after the ruling Socialists were trounced in local elections.

Speculation of a cabinet reshuffle mounted after Ayrault acknowledged he and his ministers bore part of the blame for Sunday’s defeat, which saw 155 towns swing to the centre-right UMP and the far-right Front National claim 11.

The 51 year old is disliked by those to the left but he does well in opinion polls.

Valls proved popular as interior minister, setting himself up as tough on crime and anti -Roma. He supported the controversial expulsion of the Roma from French cities, drawing comparisons to former right-wing President Nicolas Sarkozy.

Born in Barcelona, he was mayor of Evry, a town in the Paris suburbs.

He has presidential ambitions but was beaten as the Socialist candidate by Hollande in 2011.