Gabriel Attal was named Tuesday as France’s youngest prime minister, as President Emmanuel Macron seeks a fresh start for the remainder of his term amid growing political pressure from the far right.
Attal, 34, rose to fame as the government’s spokesman at the time as education minister and was voted the most popular minister in the government to be appointed. He was the first openly gay French prime minister.
Her predecessor Elisabeth Borne resigned on Monday following recent political upheaval over an immigration law that strengthened the government’s ability to deport foreigners.
Macron’s office announced the appointment in a statement.
He will work with Attal to name a new government in the coming days, although several key ministers are expected to continue in their posts.
”I know I can count on your energy and commitment,” Macron posted on X in a message to Attal. The president made a reference to Attal reviving ”the spirit of 2017,” when Macron shook up French politics and scored a surprise victory as France’s youngest president on a pro-business centrist platform aimed at reviving one of the world’s largest. economy.
The 46-year-old president has moved to the right on security and migration issues since then, especially as right-wing rival Marine Le Pen and her anti-immigration, anti-Islam National Assembly have gained political influence.
Gabriel Attal was named France’s youngest prime minister. Reuters
Macron’s second term runs until 2027, and he is constitutionally barred from a third consecutive term. Political observers also suggest Macron, a staunch supporter of European integration, wants his new government to prepare for June’s European Union elections, where right-wing, anti-EU populists are expected to increase their influence.
His critics from the left and right targeted Attal for his limited experience, his Parisian upbringing seen as out of touch with the struggling people of the region, and his loyalty to the president.
Le Pen posted on X, previously on Twitter: “What can France expect from this 4th prime minister and 5th government in 7 years (under Macron)? Nothing,” exclaims the voter who instead chose his party in the European elections.
In a statement, Eric Ciotti, head of the conservative party The Republicans, said, “France needs urgent action: it needs a different approach. Continuous communication must give way to clear and firm policies.” Republicans will remain the “responsible opposition” to centralized government, he added.
Attal, 34, was the government’s spokesperson at the time as education minister and was chosen as the most popular minister in the government to be appointed. Reuters
The founder of the hard-line France Insoumise (France Unbowed) party, Jean-Luc Mélenchon, writing in X, mocked Attal for “returning to his position as spokesman. The function of the prime minister is disappearing. The king president alone rules his court.”
Attal, a former member of the Socialist Party, joined Macron’s fledgling political movement in 2016 and became the government’s spokesman from 2020 to 2022, a job that made him known to the French public.
He was later named budget minister before being appointed in July as education minister, one of the most prestigious posts in the French government.
Attal immediately announced a ban on long robes in classrooms to take effect with the new school year in September, saying the clothes worn mainly by Muslims test secularism in schools.
He also launched a plan to experiment with uniforms in some public schools, as part of an effort to shift the focus away from clothing and reduce school bullying.
Attal recently detailed on national television TF1 how he experienced bullying in high school, including homophobic harassment.
Newly appointed French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal delivers a speech during the handover ceremony with outgoing Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne. via REUTERS
Under the French political system, the prime minister is appointed by the president and is responsible to parliament. The prime minister is responsible for implementing domestic policy, especially economic measures, and coordinating the government’s ministerial team.
The president holds major powers over foreign policy and European affairs and is the commander-in-chief of the country’s armed forces.
Attal will face the same obstacles as his predecessor: Macron’s supporters lost their majority in parliament last year, forcing the government to make political maneuvers and use special constitutional powers to pass laws.
Difficult negotiations over an immigration bill and heated parliamentary debates have raised questions about the Borne government’s ability to pass major future legislation.
Macron’s centrist alliance was only able to pass the measure after striking a deal with the Republican party, which prompted a leftist government minister to quit and angered many in Macron’s own coalition.
Her predecessor Elisabeth Borne resigned on Monday following recent political upheaval over an immigration law that strengthened the government’s ability to deport foreigners. via REUTERS
Borne also faced massive protests last year, often marred by violence, against a law to raise the retirement age from 62 to 64, and days of riots across France sparked by the police shooting death of a teenager.
Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin, who championed the immigration bill, said on Tuesday he was ready to resume his duties as head of the country’s police force especially as the Paris Olympics begin in less than 200 days, with major security issues at stake.
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
