The French President and his government have struggled to deal with more turbulent lawmakers to pass laws since losing their absolute majority in parliament shortly after Macron was reelected for a second mandate in 2022, France 24 reported.
The change in prime minister comes after a year marred by political crises triggered by contested reforms of the pension system and immigration laws.
It also comes just five months before European Parliament elections, with eurosceptics expected to make record gains at a time of widespread public discontent over surging living costs and the failure of European governments to curb migration flows.
Opinion polls show Macron's party is trailing far-right leader Marine Le Pen by around eight to ten points for the June EU election.
Speculation of a government reshuffle had been rife since Macron in December promised a new political initiative.
Among those cited as potential candidates to replace Borne are 34-year-old Education Minister Gabriel Attal and 37-year-old Defence Minister Sebastien Lecornu, either of whom would be France's youngest ever prime minister.
Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire and former agriculture minister Julien Denormandie have also been mentioned by pundits as possible options.
The change in prime minister will not necessarily lead to a shift in political tack, but rather signal a desire to move beyond the pension and immigration reforms and focus on new priorities, including hitting full employment.
A soft-spoken career bureaucrat who served numerous Socialist Party ministers before joining Macron's governments, Borne had been prime minister since May 2022.
Aged 62, she was only the second woman to serve in the post.
MNA
Your Comment