Gabriel Attal
Attal in 2023
Prime Minister of France
Assumed office
9 January 2024
PresidentEmmanuel Macron
Preceded byÉlisabeth Borne
Minister of National Education and Youth
In office
20 July 2023 – 9 January 2024
Prime MinisterÉlisabeth Borne
Preceded byPap Ndiaye
Succeeded byAmélie Oudéa-Castéra
Minister of Public Action and Accounts
In office
20 May 2022 – 20 July 2023
Prime MinisterÉlisabeth Borne
Preceded byOlivier Dussopt
Succeeded byThomas Cazenave
Spokesperson of the Government
In office
6 July 2020 – 20 May 2022
Prime MinisterJean Castex
Preceded bySibeth Ndiaye
Succeeded byOlivia Grégoire
Secretary of State to the Minister of National Education and Youth
In office
16 October 2018 – 6 July 2020
Prime MinisterÉdouard Philippe
Preceded byPosition established
Succeeded bySarah El Haïry
Spokesperson of La République En Marche!
In office
4 January 2018 – 16 October 2018
Preceded byBenjamin Griveaux
Succeeded byLaetitia Avia
Member of the National Assembly
for Hauts-de-Seine's 10th constituency
In office
21 June 2017 – 16 November 2018
Preceded byAndré Santini
Succeeded byFlorence Provendier
Member of the Vanves City Council
Assumed office
30 March 2014
Personal details
Born
Gabriel Nissim Attal

(1989-03-16) 16 March 1989
Clamart, France
Political partyRenaissance (since 2016)
Other political
affiliations		Socialist Party (2006–2016)
Domestic partnerStéphane Séjourné (2015–2022)
EducationÉcole alsacienne
Alma materSciences Po
University of Paris 2 Panthéon-Assas
Signature

Gabriel Nissim Attal de Couriss (French pronunciation: [ɡabʁijɛl atal]; born 16 March 1989) is a French politician serving as the Prime Minister of France since January 2024.

A member of the Renaissance party, Attal rapidly rose up the political ranks following his election to the National Assembly in June 2017; he became the Junior Minister to the Minister of National Education and Youth in 2018, which made him the youngest person to serve in the Government of France, the Spokesperson of the Government in 2020, the Minister of Public Action and Accounts in 2022, and the Minister of National Education and Youth in 2023.

On 9 January 2024, Attal was appointed by the President of France, Emmanuel Macron, to replace Élisabeth Borne as the Prime Minister of France. At the age of 34, he became the youngest person and the first openly gay person to serve as French Premier as well as the ninth openly LGBT person and the youngest person currently serving as a head of state or government in the world.

Attal is one of the most popular politicians in France and the French media have speculated that he is a potential contender in 2027 French presidential election.

Early life and education

Attal was born on 16 March 1989 in Clamart, Île-de-France. He grew up in the 13th and 14th arrondissements (districts) of Paris with three sisters. His father, Yves Attal, was a lawyer and film producer of half Tunisian Jewish descent (on the paternal side) and half Alsatian Jewish descent (on the maternal side). Attal's mother, Marie de Couriss,[lower-alpha 1] is of French and Russian ancestry, and worked as an employee of a film production company.[2][3] Attal was raised in his mother's religion of Orthodox Christianity.[4]

Attal attended École alsacienne, an exclusive private school in the 6th arrondissement of Paris. He obtained a Baccalauréat with a "Mention Très Bien" in 2007.[5] He went on to study law at Panthéon-Assas University from 2008 to 2011, and earned a Master of Public Affairs from Sciences Po in 2012. He also spent a year (2009–2010) working with Éric de Chassey, director of the French Academy at Rome.[6]

His political activity first began when he participated in the 2006 youth protests in France.[7] Taking up a place at Sciences Po in 2007, he created a committee for the support of Íngrid Betancourt, the Franco-Colombian hostage held by the FARC.[8]

Political career

National advisory and municipal

After an internship at the French National Assembly with Marisol Touraine during the 2012 presidential campaign, Attal worked for five years as an advisor to the Minister of Health, a role which involved parliamentary liaison and speechwriting.[9]

In the 2014 municipal elections, Attal was placed fifth on the Socialist Party list. He was elected as one of the four Socialist Party councilors of Vanves and took over the lead of the opposition, after the resignation of the head of the socialist list.[10]

Member of the National Assembly (2017–2018)

Attal was elected to the French National Assembly on 18 June 2017, representing the Hauts-de-Seine's 10th constituency, winning out over the designated successor of André Santini.[9][11]

Attal was quickly considered one of the most talented new members of parliament, with Amélie de Montchalin.[12] As a deputy of the National Assembly, he became a member of the Committee on Cultural and Education Affairs, where he served as whip of the group La République En Marche!.[13]

In December 2017, Attal was appointed rapporteur on a bill on access to higher education.[14]

Attal was named chairperson of La République En Marche! in January 2018[15] and in September 2018, after the election of Richard Ferrand to the presidency of the National Assembly, he ran as a candidate to succeed him as president of the group La République En Marche!, but withdrew his candidacy the day before the election when he was considered one of the three favourites.[16] He later endorsed Roland Lescure.[17]

Government minister (2018–2024)

Attal in 2019

On 16 October 2018, Attal was appointed Secrétaire d'État (junior minister) to the Minister of National Education and Youth Jean-Michel Blanquer. At 29, he was the youngest member of a government under the Fifth Republic, beating the previous record set by François Baroin in 1995 by a few months. He was responsible for youth issues and setting up universal national service.[12] Attal was the government spokesperson under Prime Minister Jean Castex from 2020 to 2022.[18] He became Minister of Public Action and Accounts in the government of Prime Minister Élisabeth Borne in May 2022.[19]

In July 2023, Attal was appointed minister of national education and youth in the 2023 French government reshuffle.[20] At the age of 34, he became the youngest person to hold that office under the Fifth Republic.[21] In this position, he announced the ban on abayas under the "principle of secularism," extending a ban on religious symbols in French public schools that already included Christian crosses, Jewish Kippahs and Islamic veils.[22][23]

Prime Minister (2024–present)

Following Borne's resignation as prime minister on 8 January 2024, media sources announced Attal as favourite to succeed her.[24] His appointment as Prime Minister was announced on 9 January 2024. At the age of 34, he became the youngest and the first openly gay person to hold the office in France.[25] He also became the youngest person at present to serve as a head of state or government in the world.

Lacking a parliamentary majority as a result of the 2022 legislative election, Attal formed a minority government, the second one since the start of the Macron Presidency. He appointed what was widely described as the most right-leaning cabinet since Macron took office, with over half of his senior ministers previously coming from the conservative UMP/LR party.[26]

Attal is one of the most popular politicians in France.[27] The French media have speculated that he is a potential contender in the 2027 presidential election.[28][lower-alpha 2]

Personal life

In 2018, Attal was outed on Twitter by his former École alsacienne classmate Juan Branco.[29][30] Attal lived in a civil union with Stéphane Séjourné at the time.[31] Their relationship had ended by 2024.[4]

When they were both attending the École alsacienne, Attal had a relationship with singer Joyce Jonathan,[32] but Jonathan said that the relationship was merely "a joke between us" and "a playtime crush".[33]

Attal said in a TV interview that he had been subjected to homophobic bullying at school.[4] He has also described being the target of homophobic and antisemitic hate speech on social media as a politician.[34]

Notelist

  1. ↑ When his parents divorced, Attal added de Couriss to his name.[1]
  2. ↑ Macron is not eligible for a third term in office; the president of France is only allowed two five-year terms in office and Macron was elected in 2017 and 2022.

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Critique des médias, attaques sur Macron... On a lu "Crépuscule", le livre "censuré" de Juan Branco". France Info (in French). 25 April 2019. Archived from the original on 8 August 2023. Retrieved 10 January 2024.
  2. ↑ Mathilde Siraud (1 March 2023). "Gabriel Attal, sur les traces de Macron ?". lepoint.fr (in French). Archived from the original on 21 July 2023. Retrieved 21 July 2023..
  3. ↑ Bancaud, Delphine (16 October 2018). "Qui est Gabriel Attal, le plus jeune membre d'un gouvernement de la Ve République?" [Who is Gabriel Attal, the youngest member of a government of the Fifth Republic?] (in French). 20 Minutes. Archived from the original on 14 April 2023. Retrieved 26 October 2018.
  4. 1 2 3 Goury-Laffont, Victor (9 January 2024). "Who is Gabriel Attal, France's new prime minister?". Politico Europe. Archived from the original on 9 January 2024. Retrieved 9 January 2024.
  5. ↑ "Résultat bac 2007 académie de Paris - Gabriel Attal". resultat-bac.linternaute.com (in French). Archived from the original on 11 January 2024. Retrieved 11 January 2024.
  6. ↑ Baudais, Pierrick (20 December 2017). "Qui est Gabriel Attal, le futur porte-parole de la République en marche?" [Who is Gabriel Attal, the future spokesperson for the Republic on the move?] (in French). Ouest-France. Archived from the original on 1 October 2023. Retrieved 26 October 2018.
  7. ↑ Laurent Telo (13 April 2018). "Du Parti socialiste à La République en marche, la mue fulgurante de Gabriel Attal" [From the Socialist Party to La République En Marche!, the dazzling transformation of Gabriel Attal]. Le Monde.fr (in French). Le Monde. Archived from the original on 1 October 2023. Retrieved 26 October 2017.
  8. ↑ Jeudy, Bruno (20 August 2018). "Gabriel Attal : "Le jour où je rencontre Ingrid Betancourt"" [Gabriel Attal: "The day I meet Ingrid Betancourt"] (in French). Paris Match. Archived from the original on 1 October 2023. Retrieved 26 October 2018.
  9. 1 2 "Qui est Gabriel Attal, votre député (LREM) d'Issy-Vanves" [Who is Gabriel Attal, your deputy (LREM) of Issy-Vanves] (in French). Le Parisien. 19 June 2017. Archived from the original on 31 March 2019. Retrieved 26 October 2018.
  10. ↑ Petitdemange, Amélie (16 October 2018). "Gabriel Attal: un vingtenaire débarque dans le gouvernement" [Gabriel Attal: a twenty-something arrives in the government] (in French). Les Échos. Archived from the original on 26 October 2018. Retrieved 26 October 2018.
  11. ↑ "Elections législatives 2017" (in French). Ministry of the Interior. Retrieved 19 June 2017.
  12. 1 2 Lemarié, Alexandre (16 October 2018). "Gabriel Attal, Secretary of State at Blanquer" (in French). Le Monde. Archived from the original on 6 August 2019. Retrieved 26 October 2018.
  13. ↑ Vigoureux, Caroline; Bertolus, Jean-Jérôme (13 September 2017). "Les whips, ces députés LREM de l'ombre au rôle stratégique" [The whips, these LREM deputies from the shadow to the strategic role] (in French). L'Opinion. Archived from the original on 13 August 2020. Retrieved 26 October 2018.
  14. ↑ Stromboni, Camille; Lemarié, Alexandre (4 December 2017). "Gabriel Attal : « Il faudra être très vigilant sur la rentrée 2018 à l'université »" [Gabriel Attal: "It will be necessary to be very vigilant on the re-entry 2018 at the university"] (in French). Le Monde. Archived from the original on 1 October 2023. Retrieved 26 October 2018.
  15. ↑ ""Un honneur": le député Gabriel Attal sera le porte-parole de LREM en janvier" ["An honor": the MP Gabriel Attal will be the spokesperson of LREM in January] (in French). France Info. 20 December 2017. Archived from the original on 1 October 2023. Retrieved 26 October 2018.
  16. ↑ Siraud, Mathilde (18 September 2018). "Présidence du groupe LaREM à l'Assemblée : Attal et Bonnell jettent l'éponge" [Presidency of the LREM Group in the Assembly: Attal and Bonnell throw in the towel] (in French). Le Figaro. Archived from the original on 6 October 2023. Retrieved 26 October 2018.
  17. ↑ Boichot, Loris (14 September 2018). "Qui sont les sept macronistes qui veulent diriger les députés LaREM après Ferrand?". Le Figaro. Archived from the original on 1 October 2023. Retrieved 13 April 2020.
  18. ↑ "Gouvernement Castex en direct : Darmanin nommé ministre de l'intérieur, Dupond-Moretti garde des sceaux et Bachelot à la culture". Le Monde (in French). 6 July 2020. Archived from the original on 1 November 2020. Retrieved 6 July 2020.
  19. ↑ Boiteau, Victor (20 May 2022). "Changement dans la continuité: Darmanin, Le Maire, Attal… Ces ministres qui remettent ça dans le gouvernement Borne" (in French). Libération. Archived from the original on 2 June 2022. Retrieved 23 May 2022.
  20. ↑ "Macron sacks education, health ministers in mini-reshuffle". Politico. 20 July 2023. Archived from the original on 9 January 2024. Retrieved 24 August 2023.
  21. ↑ de Villaines, Astrid; Garcia, Émilie; Toussay, Jade (20 July 2023). "Gabriel Attal ministre de l'Éducation nationale, itinéraire d'un surdoué de la politique" (in French). HuffPost. Archived from the original on 1 September 2023. Retrieved 27 August 2023.
  22. ↑ Chrisafis, Angelique (28 August 2023). "France to ban girls from wearing abayas in state schools". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived from the original on 5 September 2023. Retrieved 6 September 2023.
  23. ↑ "French education minister announces ban on religious symbols and clothes in schools". POLITICO. 27 August 2023. Archived from the original on 9 January 2024. Retrieved 9 January 2024.
  24. ↑ "French PM resigns as Macron seeks to relaunch presidency". France 24. 8 January 2024. Archived from the original on 8 January 2024. Retrieved 9 January 2024.
  25. ↑ Willsher, Kim (9 January 2024). "Who is Gabriel Attal, the French PM who climbed the ranks in record time?". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 9 January 2024. Retrieved 9 January 2024.
  26. ↑ "Attal government: macronism shifts to the right". Les Échos (in French). 11 January 2023. Retrieved 12 January 2024.
  27. ↑ "Eyeing future, Macron breaks with tradition by picking popular PM". France 24. 10 January 2024. Archived from the original on 10 January 2024. Retrieved 11 January 2024.
  28. ↑ "Attal: the 'new Macron' at helm of French government". France 24. 9 January 2024.
  29. ↑ Girard, Quentin (23 April 2019). "Gabriel Attal, de ses propres zèles". Libération (in French). Archived from the original on 9 January 2024.
  30. ↑ "Juan Branco a-t-il une "haine quasi-obsessionnelle" à l'endroit de Benjamin Griveaux?". Radio France Internationale (in French). 18 February 2020. Archived from the original on 9 January 2024. Retrieved 28 August 2023.
  31. ↑ Biseau, Grégoire (31 October 2021). "Stéphane Séjourné et Gabriel Attal, un couple au cœur du pouvoir". Le Monde (in French). Archived from the original on 9 January 2024.
  32. ↑ Wolfstirn, Anastasia (9 January 2024). "Gabriel Attal : son histoire d'amour avec une célèbre chanteuse". Gala (in French).
  33. ↑ Lemarchand, Allan (30 June 2023). ""C'est une blague entre nous" : Joyce Jonathan revient sur son histoire d'amour avec Gabriel Attal". Gala (in French). Archived from the original on 29 November 2023.
  34. ↑ Sitbon, Shirli (31 July 2023). "Gabriel Attal: Barrage of antisemitic abuse for rising star of French politics". The Jewish Chronicle. Archived from the original on 11 January 2024.
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