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President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday confirmed the name of his education minister, Gabriel Attal, as the new prime minister of France. The 34-year-old is the country’s youngest head of state and the first openly gay leader, who replaced Élisabeth Borne, who resigned on Monday, 8 January, almost after two years in office. Attal is the fourth prime minister since 2017 under Macron.
"The president of the republic appointed Mr Gabriel Attal prime minister and tasked him with forming a government," a presidential statement said per AFP.
The move comes months before the European Parliament elections in June, and Macron hopes to change the negative sentiments around him and his party Renaissance. Things became worse for Macron in 2022, when he lost an absolute majority in the parliament. According to a Politico aggregate of polls, Macron’s disapproval rating is currently 68%. Meanwhile, polls suggest Attal, a close ally of Macron, is the most popular government minister.
On Tuesday evening, Macron tweeted on X (formerly Twitter)
“I know I can count on your energy and your commitment to implement the rearmament and regeneration project that I announced,” Macron said on X, formerly Twitter, addressing Attal.
Who is Gabriel Attal?
Attal, the son of Yves Attal, a lawyer and film producer of Tunisian Jewish descent and Marie de Couriss, was of French and Greek-Russian ancestry. He and his three sisters grew up in Paris.
His schooling was at a private school, the École Alsacienne. He studied at the Sciences Po University and obtained a master's in public affairs.
In 2006, Attal joined the Socialist Party and backed its presidential candidate, Ségolène Royal, in the 2007 election.
Ten years later, in 2016, he left the Socialist Party to join Macron’s La République En Marche (LREM).
Attal, who is close to Emmanuel Macron became the government spokesman during Covid pandemic.
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