The new generation of French politics

On January 9, Mr. Gabriel Attal, 34 years old, became the youngest prime minister of France ever.

President Emmanuel Macron chooses a very young ally to overcome the challenge. Photo: MSN

A broader reshuffle is expected this week as President Emmanuel Macron seeks to inject new momentum into his second term ahead of European Parliament elections and the Paris Olympics next summer, observers say.

Mr. Attal was born on March 16, 1989, in the Ile-de-France region. Mr. Attal's political activities began when he participated in youth protests in France in 2006. In 2012, he graduated from Sciences Po University with a master's degree in public relations, and studied law at Panthéon-Assas University from 2008 to 2011.

After many activities, in June 2017, Mr. Attal was elected to the French National Assembly and soon became a prominent figure. Mr. Attal was the government spokesman under Prime Minister Jean Castex from 2020-2022. In July 2023, he was appointed Minister of National Education and Youth in the 2023 French Government reshuffle and soon after attracted attention when he banned the Muslim abaya in schools.

New Prime Minister Gabriel Attal is a close ally of President Macron, is considered an outstanding orator and is considered a "political prodigy" in French politics with a very flexible approach. Mr. Attal regularly speaks at events of the French National Assembly as well as on radio and television programs. Mr. Attal also openly declares that he is gay. According to observers, Mr. Attal promises to bring a completely different leadership style compared to his predecessor, Elisabeth Borne, the second woman to hold the position of French Prime Minister, who has just resigned.

While Ms. Borne, 62, is highly regarded for her sternness and straightforwardness, Mr. Attal is a fresh face with a clean reputation; and is a favorite in the government after serving as Education Minister, one of the most important positions. Bloomberg noted that age was not the only factor behind President Macron's choice for prime minister in a highly centralized presidential system. Mr. Attal's loyalty and popularity are seen as advantages against the growing lead of the far-right National Rally (RN) party ahead of this summer's European elections.

According to observers, not only to win the sympathy of young people, this choice of President Marcon is another way of defending against the far-right pair Le Pen and Jordan Bardella - the powerful number 2 of RN, 28 years old, who is leading the European elections against President Macron with slogans like "The French want to stay in France".

With France hit by political crises following controversial pension and immigration reforms in 2023, the appointment of a new prime minister signals that President Emmanuel Macron is trying to push through pension and immigration reforms with his younger ally and improve his party's chances in June's EU vote.

“With the key reforms passed, Macron will push for more social, practical and potentially less divisive policies,” said Mujtaba Rahman, a political analyst at Eurasia Group. “They will try to address widespread concerns about France’s democracy, crime and anti-social behaviour.”

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