France Has Appointed Its Youngest And First Openly Gay Prime Minister
34-year-old Attal gained popularity as the government’s spokesperson during the COVID-19 pandemic and was later appointed education minister, when he banned Muslim women from wearing abayas in schools.
![France Has Appointed Its Youngest And First Openly Gay Prime Minister](/content/images/size/w1200/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/france-youngest-openly-gay-prime-minister-gabriel-attal.jpg)
France has appointed education minister, Gabriel Attal, as its youngest and first openly gay prime minister.
![French Education Minister Gabriel Attal](https://almostmag.co/content/images/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/french-education-minister-gabriel-attal.jpg)
The 34-year-old politician was appointed by French president Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday Jan. 9th, as part of a cabinet shuffle.
![French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin](https://almostmag.co/content/images/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/french-prime-minister-gabriel-attal-french-interior-minister-gerald-darmanin.jpg)
Attal replaces Elisabeth Borne, who was the first French woman prime minister in over 30 years.
![Prime minister Gabriel Attal greets Prime minister Elisabeth Borne](https://almostmag.co/content/images/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/prime-minister-gabriel-attal-greets-prime-minister-elisabeth-borne.jpg)
Attal gained popularity as the government’s spokesperson during the COVID-19 pandemic and was later appointed education minister in 2023.
![france gay prime minister Gabriel Attal](https://almostmag.co/content/images/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/france-gay-prime-minister-gabriel-attal.jpg)
In the role, he banned Muslim women from wearing abayas, full length robes, in public schools, which earned him support from conservatives but sparked protests from Muslim communities.
![French Embassy protests against the ban on abaya](https://almostmag.co/content/images/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/french-embassy-protests-against-the-ban-on-abaya.jpg)
Macron’s decision to appoint Attal is seen as a strategic move to boost popularity ahead of the European Parliament elections in June.
![France president Emmanuel Macron Gabriel Attal](https://almostmag.co/content/images/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/france-president-emmanuel-macron-gabriel-attal.jpg)
Attal is considered one of France’s most popular politicians according to opinion polls, with many speculating he may succeed Macron in the 2027 presidential elections.
![gay prime minister Gabriel Attal france](https://almostmag.co/content/images/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/gay-prime-minister-gabriel-attal-france.jpg)