France President Emmanuel Macron named the country바카라s youngest-ever prime minister and first openly gay one, Gabriel Attal, on Tuesday as he seeks a fresh start for the rest of his second term amid growing political pressure from the far right.
Attal바카라s appointment comes after sitting PM Elisabeth Borne resigned a day earlier, following a tumultuous term in office. Borne said in her resignation letter that she and Macron agreed 바카라it was more necessary than ever to push on with reforms.바카라 The former PM had also faced criticism for pushing through some unpopular reforms during Macron's second term.
The President will now work with Attal to name a new government in the coming days, five months ahead of the European Parliament elections.
Who is Gabriel Attal?
Gabriel Attal, 34, was originally a supporter of the Socialist Party but joined Macron바카라s centrist movement in 2016.
He rose to prominence as the government spokesperson during the Covid-19 pandemic from 2020 to 2022, when he would make frequent public appearances. He emerged as one of the most popular politicians, according to recent opinion polls, with some describing him as the 바카라baby Macron바카라, according to a report by The Guardian.
He was appointed as the education minister last year. His first move was imposing a ban on the Muslim abaya dress in classrooms, claiming that the garments, which are mainly worn by Muslims, were testing secularism in schools 바카라 a decision that many conservatives appreciated. He also launched a plan to experiment with school uniforms, as part of efforts to move the focus away from clothes and reduce school bullying.
Attal is also the first openly gay prime minister of France and is in a civil partnership with Stéphane Séjourné, a member of the European parliament for Macron바카라s Renaissance party.
Turbulent year for Macron
The president바카라s current term, which is his second, lasts until 2027, and he is constitutionally barred from a third consecutive term. The cabinet reshuffle is being seen as a boost for his popularity before the European Parliament elections in June.
바카라바카라I know I can count on your energy and your commitment,바카라 Macron posted on the social media platform X in a message to Attal.
He also wrote that he was counting on Attal바카라s energy and engagement to restore the spirit of 2017 바카라 the year of Macron바카라s first election when he promised to revolutionise French politics.
Attal바카라s appointment comes at a time when Macron continues to face pressure after he signed the unpopular pension and immigration reforms in 2023. The turbulent year witnessed large-scale protests against Macron바카라s decision to raise the state pension age from 62 to 64 and tougher restrictions on obtaining residency and citizenship 바카라 a move that the right termed as their ideological win.
The trouble began in 2022. In April of that year, Macron defeated far-right candidate Marine Le Pen to be the first French president to win a second term since Jacques Chirac in 2001. However, shortly after being re-elected, Macron바카라s centrist grouping (Ensemble) lost its absolute majority in Parliament, winning just 245 seats, when 289 are required for an absolute majority.
This meant that any reform that Macron wanted to push, required multiple rounds of negotiations with the opposition and the right.
Far-right leader Marine Le Pen바카라s National Rally party scored a ten-fold increase in its seats by winning 89 seats. A broad left-wing alliance, NUPES, united behind left-wing veteran Jean-Luc Melenchon, emerged as a prominent opposition group after it won 131 seats.
How will this cabinet reshuffle help Macron?
The European Parliament elections are five months away at a time when there is widespread public discontent over surging living costs and the failure of European governments to curb migration flows.
During the handover ceremony, Attal said his goals include making security an 바카라absolute priority바카라 and promoting values of 바카라authority and respect of others.바카라 He also vowed to strengthen public services including schools and the health system and push for 바카라better controlling immigration.바카라
But opinion polls show the president trailing far-right leader Marine Le Pen바카라s party by around eight to 10 percentage points, according to a report by Al Jazeera.
