A “mini-me” of Emmanuel Macron, who once dreamed of becoming a Hollywood star, today became France's youngest ever prime minister.
Gabriel Attal, a fresh-faced 34-year-old, was chosen to head the government by President Macron on Tuesday at a time of extreme tension.
After days of intense behind-the-scenes maneuvering, France's longest-serving Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne resigned on Monday evening, triggering a long-awaited Cabinet reshuffle to restart the final three years of Macron's presidency.
Education Minister Attal was quickly seen as the favorite to succeed the 62-year-old Borne, which Macron officially announced today.
Now, at just 34, “Mini-Macron” Attal becomes France’s youngest prime minister and the first to be openly gay. Attal is in a civil partnership with Stéphane Séjourné, a 38-year-old member of the European Parliament.
The new French prime minister is a close ally of Macron, who became a household name after being appointed government spokesman during the COVID pandemic.
In one at Attal
Attal (pictured in Paris at the handover ceremony today) has been dubbed a “mini-Macron” and, at just 34, will become France's youngest prime minister and the first to be openly gay
After days of intense behind-the-scenes maneuvering, France's longest-serving Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne (left) resigned on Monday evening, waging war for Attal (right).
Newly appointed Prime Minister Gabriel Attal (right) is greeted by outgoing Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne as he arrives in Paris for the handover ceremony on January 9
Attal (pictured left with Macron in September) was dubbed “Mini Macron” or “Macron Boy” by commentators in France
Attal (left) is seen with his partner Stéphane Séjourné (right), the general secretary of Renaissance – Macron's political party, which Attal has represented as a member of parliament since 2017
Attal was once seen in a video practicing his lines in front of a class full of schoolmates. When the video was filmed in 1998, he was just nine years old and, like Macron, dreamed of becoming an actor
Gabriel Attal, 34 (right) pictured with partner Stéphane Séjourné
At just 34, Attal becomes France's youngest prime minister and the first to be openly gay. Attal is in a registered civil partnership with Stéphane Séjourné (right), a 38-year-old member of the European Parliament
Attal, once a member of the French Socialist Party before joining Macron, was a junior finance minister and became education minister in 2023. In doing so, he made a name for himself as one of Macron's smartest ministers, who felt comfortable on radio shows and in parliament.
Since taking office as education minister, he has taken a number of high-profile measures, including a ban on Muslim clothing in schools, a decision that has pleased the right.
The ban on the abaya – a loose-fitting, floor-length robe that covers the entire body – was seen as a strong statement given Macron's recent troubles.
The French president's second term was marked by unrest that erupted over the summer over racial tensions between French police and the country's youth.
He was also heavily criticized for raising the retirement age from 62 to 64, rejecting opposition calls for a referendum on the issue.
Borne was also affected by the issue, which sparked angry protests across the country after she used a special procedure to push through the National Assembly to raise the retirement age without a vote in March 2023.
Macron's Renaissance Party does not have a majority in parliament.
Meanwhile, Attal has begun to address teacher shortages and salary disputes, which have only increased his popularity.
“Gabriel Attal is a bit like the Macron of 2017,” said MP Patrick Vignal, referring to when the president took office as the youngest leader in modern French history and was a popular figure with voters at the time .
Vignal, who belongs to Macron's Renaissance party and first met Attal more than a decade ago, added that the education minister “is clear, he has authority.”
Attal and Macron would have a combined age that is just below that of Joe Biden, who is running for a second mandate in this year's US presidential election.
“If it is indeed Gabriel Attal, that would be the best card the president could play,” Ifop pollster Jerome Fourquet told BFM TV before the confirmation, citing his popularity.
Fourquet said Attal won voters' favor thanks to his quick actions as education minister and his communication skills.
He is seen as a more political figure than the technocratic Borne, once dubbed “Macron's Iron Lady” and who resigned on Monday.
Borne's resignation letter to Macron, a copy of which was seen by AFP, suggested that she would have preferred to remain in her job.
Meanwhile, opposition leaders were quick to say they didn't expect much from the change. “Elisabeth Borne, Gabriel Attal or anyone else, I don’t care, it will just be the same politics,” Socialist Party leader Olivier Faure told France Inter Radio.
Education Minister Attal was quickly seen as the favorite to succeed the 62-year-old Borne, which Macron officially announced today
French President Emmanuel Macron has named Gabriel Attal (pictured) as France's next Prime Minister as part of a government reshuffle on January 9, 2024
France's longest-serving prime minister Elisabeth Borne (pictured left with Macron in June) resigned on Monday evening, likely triggering a long-awaited cabinet reshuffle to restart the final three years of Macron's presidency
FILE: French Education and Youth Minister Gabriel Attal (r.) speaks with French Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne (l.) during her visit to a Paris middle school about the issue of school bullying on the French national day against school bullying in Paris on November 9, 2023
A young Gabriel Attal
This photo taken on January 8, 2024 shows a printed copy of French Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne's resignation letter to President Macron
Still, polls have shown Attal to be the government's most popular minister and many see him as a candidate who could replace Macron as head of state in 2027.
If he were to enter the presidential race, he would face another rising star of French politics, the even younger Jordan Bardella.
At just 28 years old, Bardella is now leader of Marine Le Pen's far-right Rassemblement National (RN) party.
The similarities between Attal and Macron are well documented.
The younger man was once seen in a video practicing his lines in front of a class full of schoolmates. He was only nine years old when the video was filmed in 1998, but was already seen discussing his future with the confidence of a star.
In this respect, the young Attal was just like his political mentor Macron, who became president in 2017 at just 39 years old.
Macron was also a child actor – one who famously fell in love with his drama teacher and future wife, Brigitte Macron, at a Catholic school in his hometown.
A former classmate of Attal's at the Alsatian private school – one of the most prestigious in Paris – said: “Gabriel is like a mini-Macron, one who loves to follow in his boss's footsteps.” People like the clear image, but Gabriel is actually much more unconventional and likes to question accepted values.”
France's presidents have always been male heterosexuals who – despite their long history of affairs – like to portray themselves as committed to their wives.
Attal, on the other hand, lives happily with his life partner Stéphane Séjourné, the 38-year-old secretary general of Renaissance – Macron's political party, which Attal has represented as an MP since 2017.
Attal and Séjourné are in a civil partnership – a legal agreement similar to marriage – and live together in Paris.
“If Gabriel does become president, Stéphane would be a perfect companion at the Élysée,” a Renaissance source said in October. “They would be the first gay couple in this role and a refreshing change from their predecessors.”
While expectations grow that he could become the next prime minister, opinion polls also point to the strong likelihood of a future Attal presidency.
The French president's second term was marked by unrest that erupted over the summer over racial tensions between French police and the country's youth
Macron was also heavily criticized for raising the retirement age from 62 to 64, rejecting opposition calls for a referendum on the issue
Macron will not be allowed to run again in 2027 because French leaders are only allowed to serve two terms in power, allowing someone else to take the floor.
Other candidates include Le Pen and the radical leftist Jean-Luc Mélenchon, meaning Attal is already seen as a moderate centrist.
An Ifop poll published in the second half of last year called Attal the “preferred candidate” to lead the Renaissance Party in 2027.
He took the lead in the polls from Édouard Philippe, another of Macron's former prime ministers, and Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin, earning Attal the nicknames “Macron II” and “Macron Boy.”
Attal, who speaks good English, is expected to impress on the world stage and has said he is determined to uphold the traditions of France's secular society, which bans any symbols that could be associated with religion.
Opponents, meanwhile, accused Attal of being just like Macron – a spoiled rich boy who flirted with socialism before focusing on his immense wealth.
Before becoming president, Macron was finance minister in a socialist government and had already earned millions as a commercial banker.
Attal was also once a member of the Socialist Party.
Before becoming president, Macron was finance minister in a socialist government and had already earned millions as a commercial banker, while Attal was once a member of the Socialist Party.
This was followed by a very pleasant childhood in Paris with his father, the film producer, Yves Attal, and his mother, whose maiden name was Marie de Couriss.
She came from a Belarusian family that escaped the 1917 revolution, and Attal has confirmed that he adopted her Russian Orthodox religion.
While expectations grow that he could become the next prime minister, opinion polls also point to the strong likelihood of a future Attal presidency
Attal can be seen in a video during his school days. At that time he wanted to become an actor, similar to French President Macron, who later became Attal's political mentor
Nevertheless, he said he also experienced anti-Semitism because his father was Jewish.
“I suffered everything in this regard,” Attal said. “Homophobia – of course. Also anti-Semitism.'
Attal said: “My father said to me: 'Even if you are not Jewish – I am Russian Orthodox through my mother – you will feel solidarity with Jews all your life because, like them, you suffer from anti-Semitism because of your name become.
“There was no lack of that. But I'll never complain about it.'
Attal added: “Many anonymous people are discriminated against every day without having the same support and protection as I do.”
Yves Attal died in 2015, meaning his son became an overnight millionaire thanks to an early inheritance he shared with his three sisters and adopted brother.
Talking about his childhood, Attal said, “Yes, I went to a private school.” I don't have to deny it and apologize for it. My parents shouldn’t be criticized for making this decision.”
He was known at the Alsatian university for his love of dolphins – there is a video of him giving a talk about them – and also for the Paris St. Germain football club.
But acting was his first love and he appeared as a cat in Puss in Boots and as a paramedic in Molière's Le Médecin Volant.
Attal's meteoric rise in French politics began at the age of 23, when he joined the Socialists as an adviser in the Health Ministry under President François Hollande.
Attal's meteoric rise in French politics began at the age of 23, when he joined the Socialists as an adviser in the Health Ministry under President François Hollande
Polls have shown Attal to be the government's most popular minister and many see him as a candidate who could replace Macron as head of state. Other candidates include Marine Le Pen (pictured in October) and radical leftist Jean-Luc Mélenchon, meaning Attal is already considered a moderate centrist
He became junior minister for the first time in 2018, when he was just 29, and has since held a number of key positions, including as government spokesman when he became a familiar face on French television during the coronavirus pandemic.
After a stint as public finance minister, Attal was given the high-profile education portfolio in a cabinet reshuffle in July.
He replaced Pap Ndiaye, an academic whose nomination angered right-wing conservatives because of his “woke agenda.”
If Attal wins the 2027 presidential election, he will surpass Macron's record as France's youngest ever leader by a year.
The expected reshuffle comes ahead of the Paris Olympics and European Parliament elections this summer, in which Macron's centrist forces risk defeat against the far-right led by Marine Le Pen.
Commentators say the reshuffle is essential to revitalize Macron's centrist presidency over the past three years and prevent him from becoming a “lame duck” leader after a series of crises.
Other possible candidates to succeed Borne include 37-year-old Defense Minister Sebastien Lecornu and 43-year-old Julien Denormandie.
Other key posts are also subject to uncertainty in Macron's reshuffle, particularly that of Darmanin, 41, a right-winger who is said to be seeking the post of foreign minister from Catherine Colonna.
Macron likes to “keep all options open until the last moment,” said a source close to the Elysee.
The new head of government will be the fourth prime minister since 2017 under Macron, whom critics accuse of micromanagement and centralization of power.
The conservative daily Le Figaro said Borne was leaving a political situation “that remains as fragile as ever.”
“Changing the face at the top doesn’t change the bigger picture,” the newspaper said, adding that Borne’s successor faces “an overwhelming amount of political emergencies,” including the task of unifying a fractured nation.
Borne's resignation letter to Macron, a copy of which was seen by AFP, suggested that she would have preferred to remain in her job.
Attal could run against Jean-Luc Mélenchon, pictured, as a possible presidential candidate
“Although I have to submit the resignation of my government, I wanted to tell you how much I care about this mission,” she wrote.
Macron thanked Borne, only the second woman to head the French government, for “exemplary work every day in the service of our nation.”
In the French system, the president sets overall policy and the prime minister is responsible for day-to-day governance, meaning he often pays the price when a government falls into turmoil.
June's European Parliament elections will be a major challenge as Macron's Renaissance Party risks being embarrassed by Le Pen's National Rally.