French President Emmanuel Macron has named Gabriel Attal (34) as the new Prime Minister of the country. Attal will be the youngest French prime minister ever and the first openly gay person to hold the office.
Attal will succeed former PM Elisabeth Borne who resigned yesterday.
“The president of the republic appointed Mr Gabriel Attal prime minister, and tasked him with forming a government,” a statement from Macron’s office read.
In the French system of governance, the president formulates policies while the work of minding day-to-day function of the government falls on the shoulders of the PM, and he/ she is often the first one to face the flak in case of governance issues.
Elisabeth Borne (62), the former PM stepped down from her post on Monday after serving less than two years. Attal’s selection as the new PM may be the start of a larger cabinet reshuffle which Macron is planning to carry out as he prepares for last three years of his presidency.
There were several candidates in race for the post of PM, but Attal was widely considered to be the favourite.
Wishes for Attal started pouring in soon after his appointment.
“I am sure that you will be able to faithfully carry out our project and embody the values that are ours,” said Sylvain Maillard, the leader of Macron’s Renaissance party in parliament.