French President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday named his people’s education minister Gabriel Attal as the new prime minister, seeking to inject new blood into the government ahead of European elections in June and stem the unstoppable rise of the far right.
At just 34 years old, Attal will become France’s youngest prime minister, as well as the first openly gay man to hold the post. He will replace technocrat Elisabeth Bourne, who resigned on Monday.
An excellent speaker, Gabriel Attal is one of the most famous and popular politicians in France. He served as government spokesman during the pandemic and was appointed education minister last year.
His first measure was to ban the abaya – traditional Muslim clothing – in schools, which earned praise from the more conservative sectors of French society.
Attal’s appointment is aimed at rejuvenating the government’s image and trying to close the distance to the far right, led by popular 28-year-old Jordan Bardella, who leads European polls by 10 points.