By Ken Afor
In a bid to rejuvenate his presidency through a fresh government, French President Emmanuel Macron has appointed 34-year-old Gabriel Attal as the next Prime Minister of France.
Attal holds the distinction of being the youngest prime minister in modern French history, surpassing Socialist Laurent Fabius, who was appointed by François Mitterrand in 1984 at the age of 37.
Attal’s appointment as the replacement for Élisabeth Borne, who resigned after serving for 20 months, is undeniably attention-grabbing. During that period, she grappled with the absence of a parliamentary majority.
Attal’s responsibility now lies in guiding the French government through the crucial European Parliament elections scheduled for June.
Prior to his appointment on Tuesday, Attal emerged victorious in the election for the French National Assembly on June 18, 2017, securing the representation of the Hauts-de-Seine’s 10th constituency. His triumph came at the expense of André Santini’s designated successor.
Later, on October 16, 2018, Attal was appointed as the junior minister, known as Secrétaire d’État, to the Minister of National Education and Youth, Jean-Michel Blanquer.
At the age of 29, he became the youngest member of a government in the Fifth Republic, surpassing François Baroin’s previous record set in 1995 by a few months. His responsibilities included addressing youth-related matters and establishing a comprehensive national service program.
He served as the government spokesperson during Prime Minister Jean Castex’s tenure from 2020 to 2022.
Following that, he assumed the role of Minister of Public Action and Accounts in the government led by Prime Minister Élisabeth Borne in May 2022.
In the July 2023 reshuffle of the French government, Attal was appointed as the Minister of National Education and Youth. At the age of 34, he became the youngest individual to hold this position under the Fifth Republic. During his tenure, he made headlines by announcing the prohibition of the Islamic headdress in French schools.
