Gabriel Attal, appointed as the new Prime Minister of France, was part of the so-called “Mormons”, the group of brilliant young politicians and senior officials who very early opted for Emmanuel Macron when he, who headed the Ministry of Economy and Finance, decided to present himself as candidate for the Elysée in 2017. Attal had worked, like Macron, on the team of socialist president François Hollande.
The election of Attal to replace Élisabeth Borne has made history not only because of his age – 34 years old, the youngest prime minister of the Fifth Republic – but also because of his status as an unapologetic homosexual. Due to this fact, his arrival at the Matignon palace is also a generational milestone, a cultural revolution and an indirect nod to the LGTBI community, although Attal prefers to be very discreet about his private life.
For a few years now, Attal has been legally paired – through the civil solidarity pact (Pacs), almost equivalent to marriage – with Stéphane Séjourné, another ‘Mormon’, MEP and general secretary of Renaissance, the political party made up of supporters of Macron.
Unlike other figures around the president who have fallen from grace, Attal has led an unstoppable rise. He shares with the head of state an extraordinary dialectical ability. He is a great communicator. Polls indicate that he is the minister who obtains the greatest popular acceptance. His five months at the head of the Ministry of National Education have contributed to his good fortune. He was brave to ban ‘abaya’ (Muslim clothing) in school. Other educational organization decisions were also well received.
Despite his youth, Attal already has relevant experience in the internal functioning of the State and has cut his teeth as a spokesperson for the Executive. He spent 14 months in a key position as Deputy Minister of Public Accounts, under veteran Bruno Le Maire.
Attal copes with the stress of politics by consuming large amounts of calorie-free Coca-Cola and smoking the electronic cigarette. In this last habit you must exercise extreme caution. Her predecessor, Élisabeth Borne, was criticized for smoking in public, including in sessions of the National Assembly
