34-year-old Gabriel Attal becomes France’s youngest PM

The French President, Emmanuel Macron, on Tuesday appointed a 34-year-old Gabriel Attal as the country’s new Prime Minister.

Attal, the country’s education minister, replaced Elisabeth Borne, who stepped down from the position on Monday.

He has therefore become France’s youngest prime minister in history.

The appointment is expected to breathe new life into Macron’s second mandate ahead of the June European parliament elections.

The move will not necessarily lead to any major political shift but signals a desire for Macron to try to move beyond last year’s unpopular pension and immigration reforms and improve his centrist party’s chances on the ballot.

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Attal, a close ally of the president, became a household name as a government spokesman during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Dear @GabrielAttal, I know I can count on your energy and your commitment to implement the project of revitalisation and regeneration that I announced,” Macron said on the X platform shortly after the announcement.

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