(LaPresse) Gabriel Attal, 34 years old, rose to prominence first as government spokesperson and then as education minister. He is the first openly gay French prime minister. A former member of the Socialist Party, Attal joined Macron’s fledgling political movement in 2016 and served as government spokesperson from 2020 to 2022, a role that made him known to the French public.
He was then appointed budget minister before being named education minister in July, one of the French government’s most prestigious positions. Upon his arrival at the ministry he quickly announced the ban on wearing the abaya in classrooms, came into effect with the new school year in September, stating that the clothing worn primarily by Muslims strained the secularity of schools. He also authored a plan to experiment with uniforms in some public schools, as part of efforts to shift the focus away from clothing and reduce school bullying. Attal recently told national television TF1 that he had suffered bullying in middle school, including homophobic harassment.
According to polls, Attal was the most popular minister in the Borne government. With him Macron, who when he came to power in 2017 was the youngest president ever, will work to appoint a new government in the next few daysalthough some key ministers are expected to continue in their roles.
The appointment of the new prime minister comes to revive Macron’s second term, amid political pressure from the far right. Since arriving at the Elysée in 2017, elected on a centrist pro-business platform, the now 46-year-old president has moved to the right on security and immigration issues while far-right rival Marine Le Pen and her anti-immigration party and anti-Islam National Rassemblement have gained political influence. (LaPresse/Ap)
January 9, 2024 – Updated January 9, 2024, 2:23 pm
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