A breath of fresh air in French politics.

The selection of Gabriel Attal as Prime Minister will be a breath of fresh air for French politics, bringing about "a year of rebirth and pride" for France.

Tân Thủ tướng Pháp Gabriel Attal. (Nguồn: AFP)

New French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal. (Source: AFP)

In a rather unexpected development on January 9th, French President Emmanuel Macron chose Gabriel Attal, 34, the youngest of his close allies, as Prime Minister, replacing Elisabeth Borne, who resigned the day before.

Among the figures being considered by President Macron are prominent names such as Defense Minister Sébastien Lecornu, Julien Denormandie, who served as minister during Macron's first term, and Economy Minister Bruno Le Maire.

Observers believe that Macron's goal is to find a prime minister capable of uniting the majority, which has been severely divided recently due to the passage of new immigration laws, as well as being able to form alliances with other parties, given that President Macron's party only holds a relative majority in the Lower House.

With that goal in mind, the choice of Gabriel Attal, a young minister who was the most popular in 2023 and possesses a sharp mind, is considered "understandable and logical." President Macron wrote on social media expressing his confidence that the enthusiasm and dynamism of the new Prime Minister Attal will help him "restructure" France in all areas.

Earlier, on the "Cà Vous" program on France 5 on December 20, 2023, Macron praised young politician Attal for "standing shoulder to shoulder with him from the beginning," a person "full of energy, courageous to continue the fight with even greater ambitions."

Prime Minister Gabriel Attal de Couriss comes from a wealthy Parisian family, the son of a Jewish lawyer and film producer of Tunisian descent. He attended École Alsacienne, a private school for the children of politically and artistically prominent families in Paris. After graduating from high school, he studied at the prestigious Sciences Po University and earned a master's degree in Public Relations. He also studied Law at the University of Paris II.

He has made "lightning-fast" strides in his career. Starting as an employee of the Ministry of Health at the age of 23, he rose to the position of Prime Minister within just 10 years, the second highest office in France after the President. He was elected to the French National Assembly in 2017 and, a year later, joined the cabinet as Secretary of State for Youth Affairs. At that time, Secretary of State Attal was also the youngest member of government since the beginning of France's Fifth Republic.

New Prime Minister Attal previously served as government spokesperson from 2020 to 2022. This position helped him become familiar with the public and understand the aspirations and sentiments of young people. Following that, he served as Minister of Budget and Minister of Education from July 2023 before becoming Prime Minister on January 9th.

Attal's political ambitions were sparked by his participation in protests against far-right leader Jean-Marie Le Pen during the second round of the 2002 French presidential election. He then joined the Socialist Party in 2006 and supported presidential candidate Ségolène Royal in the 2007 election. With foresight, the young Attal rose rapidly through the ranks after leaving the Socialist Party in 2016 to support Emmanuel Macron's presidential campaign in 2017.

The Guardian noted that Prime Minister Attal stands out for his willingness to speak out publicly on any issue. His exceptional communication skills and sharp intellect allow him to consistently deliver impressive answers to the public and in parliament. When he was still an employee of the Ministry of Health, Minister Marisol Touraine remarked, "Attal will have a great career and a bright future."

Meanwhile, supporters of the incumbent president have every reason to hope that Macron's choice will be a breath of fresh air in French politics, bringing about "a year of rebirth and pride" for France, as the occupant of the Elysee Palace stated in his New Year's message.

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