At age 34, Gabriel Attal is openly gay and the youngest person in France to become the Prime minister. From Europe until now, eight gay leaders and two lesbian leaders have been elected, as heads of the state or the government.
President Emmanuel Macron appointed Gabriel Attal as the 26th Prime Minister of France since the Fifth French Republic (1958). Incidentally, Emmanuel Macron has chosen to attend India’s Republic Day, which coincides with number 26. India is celebrating its Republic Day on the 26th of January, and Emmanuel Macron is the guest of honour for the event.
Gabriel Attal at 23 graduated with a Master of Public Affairs from the Paris Institute of Political Sciences. It provided him with the necessary training in public policy and government operations. Born to a Jewish Father and a French Mother, he was at the receiving end of antisemitic behaviour on social media, and for being openly gay, he faced homophobic hate speech. He rose with abuse. At 28, he was elected into the French National Assembly in 2017 and quickly rose through the political ranks. He worked as a junior minister in the Ministry of Economics and Finance before being given duties to work as an education minister in 2023.
Emmanuel Macron counts on Gabriel Attal’s energy and commitment as he tweeted on X “I know I can count on your energy and commitment”. Picked by Macron, Attal became the Prime Minister of France, after the resignation of Elisabeth Borne. In the French political system, the President appoints the Prime Minister.
Gabriel Attal never shies away from making unpopular decisions. Banning Muslim abaya dress in state schools was one such decision.
It is to be seen how Attal will steer the government smoothly implementing domestic policies and economic measures and coordinating with ministers in the government. Nevertheless, it is a historic opportunity for the youngest France PM to leave his mark and inspire many young join politics and serve people.
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