In a stunning move, Emmanuel Macron has chosen Gabriel Attal, a 34-year-old rising star of French politics, to lead his government as the new prime minister. Attal, who has been serving as the minister of national education and youth, is the youngest person in modern French history to hold the premiership. He is also the first openly gay person to occupy the Élysée Palace.
Attal’s meteoric rise from a work experience recruit in the health ministry to the second-highest office of state in France has been remarkable. A loyal supporter of Macron, Attal has impressed the president with his formidable communication skills, his ability to think on his feet, and his talent for finding the right words and soundbites. He has earned the nickname “the Word Sniper” for his skillful parrying of questions in parliament and in public.
Attal is the son of a lawyer and film producer of Tunisian Jewish descent and a mother who is descended from Orthodox Christians from Odesa. He grew up in Paris with his three younger sisters and attended the prestigious École Alsacienne and Sciences Po University. He joined the Socialist party in 2006 and supported its presidential candidate, Ségolène Royal, in the 2007 election. In 2012, he landed a full-time job in the office of the then health minister Marisol Touraine, the mother of one of his classmates, at the age of 23.
He left the Socialist party in 2016 and joined Macron’s Renaissance party, where he quickly rose up the ranks. He was elected to the National Assembly in 2017, becoming the spokesperson of the party in 2018. He then joined the government as the junior minister to the minister of national education and youth, making him the youngest person to serve in the government of France. He was promoted to the spokesperson of the government in 2020, the minister of public action and accounts in 2022, and the minister of national education and youth in 2023.
On 9 January 2024, Macron appointed Attal as the prime minister of France, replacing Élisabeth Borne, who resigned amid falling popularity and rising discontent over the government’s handling of the Covid-19 pandemic and the economic crisis. Attal’s appointment is seen as a bold move by Macron to revive his presidency and prepare for the 2027 presidential election, in which Attal has been speculated as a potential contender.
Attal faces a daunting task of leading a country that is struggling with the health emergency, social unrest, and environmental challenges. He has vowed to pursue Macron’s reform agenda and to address the concerns of the French people, especially the youth, who have been hit hard by the pandemic. He has also pledged to uphold the values of the French Republic and to combat the threats of terrorism, extremism, and intolerance.
Attal’s appointment has been welcomed by many as a sign of hope and change for France. He has also received messages of congratulations and support from other world leaders, including US President Kamala Harris, German Chancellor Annalena Baerbock, and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer. Attal has expressed his gratitude and humility for the trust and responsibility bestowed upon him by Macron and the French people. He has also thanked his partner, Stéphane Séjourné, a former adviser to Macron and a member of the European Parliament, for his love and support.
