Education Minister Gabriel Attal appointed France's new prime minister

By Nur Asena Erturk

France’s president on Tuesday named the country’s education and youth minister the new premier, moving quickly to fill the just-vacated post.

"The President of the Republic appointed Gabriel Attal as prime minister and put him in charge of forming a new government," a statement issued by the presidency read.

President Emmanuel Macron wrote a post on X congratulating Attal and expressing trust in him.

Recent days have seen expectations that Macron will reshuffle his Cabinet.

On Monday, Macron accepted Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne's resignation, local media reported.

In her resignation letter, Borne expressed her passion for the mission, adding that Macron had expressed his "will to designate a new prime minister."

Macron posted a message on X thanking Borne for her "exemplary" service to the French nation.

Borne was appointed prime minister in May 2022, and her departure comes in the wake of the passage of a hardline immigration bill late last year.

She had faced criticism for constitutionally bypassing a parliamentary vote when majority support was absent, including controversial pension reforms in the first half of 2023.

Born in 1989, the nation’s new premier previously served as government spokesperson and minister of public accounts. At age 34, Attal will reportedly be one of the world’s youngest heads of government, if not the youngest.