French President Nicolas Sarkozy accepted the resignation of current cabinet presented by Premier Francois Fillon on Saturday, the Elysee Palace said in a statement.

French Prime minister Francois Fillon (C) shakes hand with France's president Nicolas Sarkozy (L) as he leaves the Elysee palace in Paris, Nov. 13, 2010. [Xinhua/AFP]

"Pursuant to Article 8 of the constitution, Mr. Francois Fillon presented the President of the Republic the resignation of the government," the statement said.

Sarkozy has accepted the resignation in the night, meaning the end of Fillon's responsibility, it added. This has paved way for the expected government reshuffle.

France is planning a profound ministerial reformation in which Sarkozy hopes to inject fresh blood into the cabinet to brace up for next presidential election in 2012.

The cabinet reformation was scheduled in the wake of the pension reform, the bill of which has been signed into law by Sarkozy on Wednesday.

Though the presidency didn't reveal a precise date for the long- awaited reshuffle, it's widely predicted that new list of minister names will emerge on Sunday or Monday.

According to local media, Sarkozy has been consulting with Fillon over new ministerial team through the whole day after returned from Seoul Summit.

A majority of local media foresee Fillon to secure his leadership of the new government in spite of ex-premier Jean Pierre Raffarin's disapproval of Fillon's stay.

If Sarkozy wants to win next presidential election in 2012, he should choose a "new line" with another cabinet leader, Raffarin said in an interview published Saturday by French daily Le Monde.

Recent surveys showed Fillon was much more favorable than the other hot candidate Jean-Louis Borloo, ecology minister. Among ruling UMP partisans, his supporting rate exceed 50 percent.

Considering another ex-premier Alain Juppe's implication of his return to the government, local speculation says he might be the next defense minister.