Gabriel Attal, 34 years old, reiterated his gratitude to Emmanuel Macron several times yesterday and considered that his appointment as Prime Minister of France is “a symbol of audacity and movement”. The president’s brave but risky bet had another plausible interpretation: Macron pointed to Attal as the possible candidate to succeed him when he leaves the Elysée in 2027.
The new head of government, the youngest of the Fifth Republic – the record was held by the socialist Laurent Fabius, aged 37, appointed by François Mitterrand – and the fourth of the Macron era, was part of the so-called Mormons, the group of young politicians and civil servants, bright and ambitious, who joined Macron’s adventure when he, after resigning as François Hollande’s Minister of Economy, decided to aspire to be head of state.
Attal, whom some call “mini-Macron”, accedes to the position, which is usually ungrateful with its occupants, to prevent the three and a half years of presidency that remain in his head from becoming an even worse ordeal than the ‘current. Their mission is to regain the initiative and try to prevent a defeat in the European elections in June.
The appointment of Attal to replace Élisabeth Borne has made history not only because of his youth but also because of his status as a homosexual without complexes. For this reason, his arrival at the Matignon palace is, in addition to a generational milestone, a cultural revolution and an indirect nod to the LGBTI community, although Attal prefers to be very discreet about his private life. A few years ago, in a televised interview, the future prime minister did explain how he confessed to his father about his homosexuality and the harassment he suffered at school because of his orientation.
For years, Attal has been legally married – through the civil solidarity pact (PACS), almost equivalent to marriage – with Stéphane Séjourné, another Mormon, MEP and general secretary of Renaissance, the political party formed by Macron’s supporters.
“We welcome the fact that being homosexual or gay today is not an obstacle to performing first-class functions”, assured the SOS Homophobia organization. “Society is progressing and this visibility is going in the right direction”, added the entity.
Unlike other figures in the president’s circle who have fallen from grace, Attal has led an unstoppable rise. He shares with the Head of State an extraordinary dialectical skill. He is a skilled communicator and a hyperactive politician. A recent poll indicated that he was the most highly rated minister by citizens. His five months at the head of the Ministry of National Education have contributed to his good fortune. He was brave in banning the abaya (Muslim clothing) in school. Other decisions were also well received.
Despite his age, Attal already has relevant experience in the internal workings of the State. He matured as a spokesman for the Executive. He spent fourteen months in a key position as Deputy Minister of Public Accounts under Bruno Le Maire. He was previously spokesperson for the Executive.
A socialist activist for ten years, Attal began his career at the Ministry of Health during Hollande’s mandate. Her big challenge – as it was with her predecessor – is to govern without an absolute majority in Parliament. Yesterday he promised respect and dialogue, but surely the opposition is waiting for him with sharp knives.
Although it is the power of the president, the appointment has required a complex negotiation between the various factions of Macronism to respect the balances and manage the susceptibilities of the most veteran ministers, such as the Minister of Economy, Bruno Le Maire, and the Minister of the Interior, Gérald Darmanin, both potential candidates for the Elysee in 2027.
Attal, with a boy’s face but incipient white hair, is a prototype of the Parisian cosmopolitan bourgeoisie. His father, Yves Attal, is a well-known lawyer and film producer from a Tunisian Jewish family. The mother comes from White Russians from Odessa, of Greek descent and Orthodox faith.
In the transfer of power, Attalva promised to give absolute priority to the public school and, in the general field, “maintain control over our destiny and release the French potential”. Shortly afterwards he traveled to the Pas-de-Calais region to visit those affected by the floods. Borne, for her part, proudly claimed her work done and said that she will continue as deputy for Normandy.
Marine Le Pen’s reaction was very harsh. “What can be expected from this fourth prime minister and the fifth government in seven years? Nothing”, tweeted the far-right leader.
Jean-Luc Mélenchon, the patriarch of the radical left, was no softer. “Attal regains the position of spokesperson – he quipped about the total submission to the president -. The function of prime minister disappears”. According to the leader of La France Insubmisa (LFI), Macron is “a monarch who rules with his court” in a system he described as “a childish ballet of ambitions and egos”.
The list of the new cabinet will be made public in the coming days. As in everything, Macron has the last word. There will likely be no further opportunities to rectify and avoid a definitive drift that will tarnish his legacy. Political marketing has its limits. The country expects results.
