‘From intern to premier’: Gabriel Attal becomes France’s youngest prime minister

Emmanuel Macron appoints 34-year-old Gabriel Attal as the country’s new prime minister, making him the youngest figure to hold that office

In a dramatic political twist, 34-year-old Gabriel Attal has become France’s youngest-ever prime minister after his predecessor Elisabeth Borne’s resignation this week following recent political turmoil over an immigration law.

Amidst a backdrop of scandals and resignations, the French presidency’s selection of Attal as the prime minister comes as a strategic manoeuvre to breathe new life into the government and enhance the centrist party’s image ahead of the European Parliament election.

Confronted with a challenging political landscape, President Emmanuel Macron is banking on Attal’s youthful vigour to revitalize the government and resonate with younger voters. Attal’s trajectory, evolving from an inexperienced recruit to France’s youngest prime minister, stands as a distinctive and unprecedented chapter in the nation’s political narrative.

Attal, born into a backdrop of privilege and adversity, is the offspring of Yves Attal, a lawyer and film producer with Tunisian Jewish roots, and Marie de Couriss, hailing from Orthodox Christians in Odesa. Raised in Paris alongside his three younger sisters, Attal received his education at the prestigious École Alsacienne. Further solidifying his academic credentials, he earned a master’s degree in public affairs from the renowned Sciences Po University.

A source close to Gabriel notes, “The turning point came in 2002 when he was 13, and his parents took him to a demonstration against the presence of Jean-Marie Le Pen in the second round of the presidential election.”

Attal first became politically active in 2006, when he joined the Socialist Party, campaigning for Segolene Royal, who was running for president in the 2007 election. In a noteworthy move, 2016 marked a pivotal year for Attal as he departed from the Socialist Party, opting to align himself with Emmanuel Macron’s centrist political movement, En Marche, which would later become La République En Marche.

Attal swiftly climbed the political ladder, becoming the youngest member of the Fifth Republic government at 29 as the secretary of state at the education ministry. His roles later expanded to government spokesperson, public accounts minister and education minister. Finally, Attal has ended up as the country’s youngest and first openly gay prime minister in a career that began as an intern in the health ministry.

Macron himself is no stranger to age-related records as he was France’s youngest-ever president when he came to power back in 2017. Attal and Macron are set to name a new government in the coming days.

Source: Newsroom