France: Emmanuel Macron appoints Gabriel Attal as head of government

In France, President Emmanuel Macron has chosen to appoint Gabriel Attal, who has been the Minister of Education since July last year, as the new Prime Minister, replacing Élisabeth Borne, who submitted her government’s resignation this Monday.

At 34 years old, Gabriel Attal becomes the youngest head of government in the Fifth Republic, surpassing Laurent Fabius, appointed Prime Minister by François Mitterrand at the age of 37 in 1984.

The handover of power took place this afternoon. Before the ceremony, the new head of government met with his predecessor.

She expressed her “joy” at joining the Assembly as a deputy for Calvados.

«I held the course set by the President of the Republic without trembling», she asserted before addressing women, saying, «Hold on, the future belongs to you».

Taking the floor, Gabriel Attal did not fail to praise Élisabeth Borne’s work, describing her as a “prime minister of action and courage.”

«We know everything we owe you. Elisabeth, Madam Prime Minister, thank you for everything», he affirmed.

Recalling his brief tenure as the head of the National Education, Mr. Attal stated that he brings to Matignon «the cause of education», which he referred to as «the mother of our battles», and to which he will give, «as Prime Minister, all the necessary means of action for its success».

 He assures that it will be his «absolute priority in his government role», promising «a form of continuity».

In his speech, he also mentioned his goal to “maintain control of our destiny and unleash our French potential” and that he will gather the “vital forces of the country starting this week.”

All these decisions have propelled him into the spotlight. «He has very strong popularity ratings everywhere, on the left and also on the right. Gabriel Attal embodies the expectations of the French towards politics: he makes the right assessments and acts. He wants to transform daily life», said Frédéric Dabi, General Director of Opinion at the Ifop group, on LCI.

Yann ETERNEL