France appoints youngest-ever prime minister

French President Emmanuel Marcon, on Tuesday, named Gabriel Attal, 34, the country’s new prime minister.

According to a report published by Associated Press, Attal will become the youngest person to occupy France’s second-highest office at 34 years old. He is also France’s first openly gay prime minister.

Attal was named prime minister, as President Macron seeks a fresh start for the rest of his term which lasts until 2027, and he is constitutionally barred from a third consecutive term.

Attal joined Macron’s newly created political movement in 2016 and was government spokesperson from 2020 to 2022, a job that made him well-known to the French public.

He was then named budget minister before being appointed in July as education minister, one of the most prestigious positions in the French government.

It was reported that his predecessor, Elisabeth Borne, resigned on Monday following recent political turmoil over an immigration law that strengthens the government’s ability to deport foreigners.

In her resignation letter, Borne suggested she resigned at Macron’s request, citing the president’s “will” to “appoint a new prime minister.”