French President Emmanuel Macron has appointed Gabriel Attal, the 34-year-old education minister, as the country’s youngest prime minister in modern history. This decision comes amid Macron’s efforts to revitalise his second mandate and bolster his centrist party’s chances in the upcoming European Parliament elections.
Attal replaces Elisabeth Borne, who resigned following recent political turmoil over an immigration law that stirred controversy and divided Macron’s party.
Sylvain Maillard, head of Macron’s Renaissance party in parliament, expressed confidence in Attal’s ability to faithfully carry forward Macron’s vision for the country.
Despite the shake-up, political analysts view this move as more of a strategic adjustment than a fundamental shift in Macron’s political stance. The president has faced challenges in the past year, including unpopular pension changes and internal divisions over immigration policies that some perceived as concessions to Marine Le Pen and the far-right.
Gabriel Attal, often referred to as a “baby Macron” due to his ambition, media presence, and centrist politics, has been a key figure in Macron’s inner circle.
As education minister, Attal gained popularity by adopting a hardline stance on authority and secularism, banning certain clothing in schools and experimenting with uniforms.
His effective communication during the Covid pandemic elevated him to the status of the most popular minister in the outgoing government.
Attal, the first openly gay prime minister of France, is known for his calm and careful speaking style, occasionally displaying ferocity in political debates against the far right. His personal experience of being bullied at school has endeared him to the public, emphasising the importance of “speaking to people’s hearts”.
The new prime minister, a former member of the Socialist Party who joined Macron’s centrist project in 2017, has also reached out to right-wing politicians, positioning himself as a defender of centrist politics in France. His appointment has garnered criticism from French communists, accusing Macron of changing superficially while maintaining the status quo.
Fabien Roussel, the national secretary of the French Communist Party, criticised Macron’s move. He said: “He [Macron] attempts to change everything so that nothing changes.”
Roussel expressed the party’s intention to seek an urgent meeting with Attal to address concerns about the cost of living and advocate for higher wages and pensions.
As Macron and Attal work together to name a new government, the political landscape in France continues to evolve, with the spotlight on the power struggle between Macron’s centrist agenda and the rising influence of the far-right National Rally led by Marine Le Pen.
