Image Source: Linternaute
Delhi, Jan 09: French President Emmanuel Macron has appointed Gabriel Attal, the 34-year-old Education Minister, as the new prime minister in a bid to rejuvenate his second term ahead of the European parliament elections. Gabriel Attal’s appointment makes him France’s youngest prime minister and the first openly gay individual in the positiaon
Attal, a prominent figure during the COVID pandemic as the government spokesman, replaces outgoing Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne. This move, while not indicating a significant political shift, reflects Macron’s effort to move past last year’s unpopular pension and immigration reforms and enhance his centrist party’s prospects in the upcoming EU ballot. Despite polls showing Macron’s camp trailing far-right leader Marine Le Pen’s party, Attal, one of the country’s popular politicians, is seen as a savvy minister, at ease in various media and parliamentary settings.
. Regarded by some as reminiscent of Macron’s early popularity, Attal’s authority and clarity have earned him popularity. With their combined ages just below that of U.S. President Joe Biden, Macron and Attal aim to inject new energy into the government, especially as Macron grapples with a more challenging parliament after losing his absolute majority post-reelection in 2022. While some, like pollster Jean-Daniel Levy, see the Macron-Attal duo as potentially revitalizing the government, opposition leaders, including Socialist Party leader Olivier Faure, remain skeptical, anticipating continuity in policies despite the change in the prime ministerial role.