Attal issued a decree in August banning the wearing of abayas and long shirts in schools, sparking controversy and criticism (French)
Gabriel Attal was appointed prime minister on Tuesday, becoming the youngest prime minister in the history of the republic and the first publicly abnormal person to hold the post, as part of a cabinet reshuffle that is supposed to give a new impetus to Emmanuel Macron's second term.
The Elysee announced in a statement that Macron had tasked Education Minister Gabriel Attal, 34, who is very popular, to form the government after Elizabeth Bourne resigned after 20 months in office.
The appointment of the new prime minister was postponed from Monday evening to Tuesday morning, prompting speculation of internal opposition, particularly from key government figures such as Gérald Darmanin and Bruno Le Maire, who denied this.
The move will not necessarily lead to any major political shift, but it signals Macron's desire to try to overcome last year's unpopular pension and immigration reforms and improve his centrist party's chances in the June EU elections.
Attal, a close ally of Macron's who has become a household name as a government spokesman during the COVID-19 pandemic, will replace outgoing Prime Minister Elizabeth Bourne.
Elizabeth Bourne resigned after 20 months in office (Reuters)
Divergent expectations
Bourne, who has been prime minister since May 2022, has successfully passed tough laws such as pension reform, which sparked outrage last spring, as well as a controversial immigration law in December. It evaded some 30 motions of no confidence.
Attal is one of the country's most popular politicians in recent opinion polls, and has made a name for himself as a smart minister, a discerning speaker on radio and in parliament.
A month after being promoted as Minister of Education in 2023, he issued a decree on August 27 banning the wearing of abayas and long shirts in schools, sparking controversy and drawing criticism from human rights groups and opposition political currents.
Macron, who said at the end of last year that he would announce new political initiatives, said: "Dear Gabriel Attal, I know that I can count on your energy and commitment to implement the revitalization and renewal project that I have announced."
The slogan of the next prime minister's term will be the "rearmament" called for by Macron in his New Year's message, referring to "industrial, economic and European rearmament" as well as "civilian", especially around the school reform project that Gabriel Attal has been undertaking since the summer.
Opposition leaders were quick to say they did not expect much from a change in the post of prime minister, with Macron himself taking over much of the decision-making process.
Source: Agencies