After Elisabeth Borne's resignation, President Emmanuel Macron appoints Gabriel Attal as France's prime minister. He is set to become France's youngest-ever prime minister.
Macron's office announced the appointment in a statement. Attal, 34, rose to prominence as the government spokesman and education minister. He is France's first openly gay prime minister. With Attal's appointment Macron seeks a fresh start for the rest of his term.
Following political turmoil over immigration law, Borne resigned from the post. The new immigration law strengthens the government's ability to deport foreigners.
Macron, who was France's youngest-ever president when he came to power in 2017 -- is to work with Attal to name a new government in the coming days, though some key ministers are expected to continue in their posts.
"Dear @GabrielAttal, I know I can count on your energy and your commitment to implement the project of revitalisation and regeneration that I announced," Macron wrote on social media after appointing Attal.
Attal's appointment comes at a time when the country is battling rising living costs, and pension reform issues among many others.
"I'm well aware of the context in which I take on this job," Attal said. "Too many French doubt our country, doubt themselves or our future. I think in particular of the middle class... who get up every morning to go to work... and sometimes can't make ends meet," he said.
Attal, a former member of the Socialist Party, joined Macron's newly created political movement in 2016 and was government spokesperson from 2020 to 2022. Later, he was named budget minister before being appointed in July as education minister. He is also said to be the most popular minister in Borne's government.
Soon after becoming the education minister, he had announced a ban on long robes in classrooms in September, saying it affected the secularism in the schools.
He also launched initiatives to reduce school bullying. Recently, Attal had openly shared the harassments including homophobic incidents he faced back in school.
