According to media reports such as Agence France-Presse and the Daily Mail, on January 9, the French president appointed 34-year-old Education Minister Atal as the new prime minister, becoming the youngest prime minister in French history and the first head of government in France to openly be gay. Known as a "political prodigy", he has risen to prominence in French politics, becoming a parliamentarian at the age of 28, secretary of state at the age of 29, a government spokesman for two years during the pandemic, a minister of education at the age of 33, and now the new prime minister.
The rapid rise of Attar is closely related to Macron, and is called "Little Macron" by French public opinion, but it is also questioned by the French media as "Macron's clone". Where will "Macron 2.0" lead France?
Atal and Macron
34-year-old Minister of Education Attar
Became the youngest French prime minister in history
On January 9, local time, the French presidential office announced that President Macron appointed Gabriel Attar, Minister of Education, as the new prime minister on the same day, replacing the "Iron Lady" Bornet, who had just resigned, and asked him to be responsible for forming a new government.
The 46-year-old Macron is in the last three years of his presidential term, and the French government is in a state of extreme tension at this time, after several days of fierce behind-the-scenes battles, France's longest-serving female prime minister, Elisabeth Bornet, resigned on the 8th, triggering the long-awaited cabinet reshuffle.
According to French media, the appointment was once opposed within the government. French Finance Minister Le Maire and Interior Minister Darmanin at one time refused to submit to Attar's leadership. A colleague revealed that they screamed when they learned of the appointment.
According to the report, Attar is a young politician with both good looks and courage, and now he is the youngest prime minister in France's history, and he and President Macron are not as old as US President Biden.
On January 9, President Macron wrote in a statement on social media X, "I know that I can count on your (Attar's) ability and courage to carry out the cause of reorganization and rejuvenation that I have announced, and to serve France and the French people together." ”
Attar said: "The youngest president in the history of France has appointed the youngest prime minister in the history of France. I see three symbols in the appointment of the president: boldness, action, confidence in young people. My goal is to take control of our own destiny and unleash France's potential".
French media reported that since the reform of the retirement system began at the beginning of last year, a number of reform measures of the Macron government have faced huge resistance and serious social differences. In particular, the controversial new immigration bill that was finally passed in parliament in December last year after several setbacks caused an "earthquake" in the political arena. Changing the prime minister and reshuffling the cabinet have become Macron's last resort to quell opposition and continue to push forward reforms. Attar has a high public approval rating and is also an acceptable candidate for both the left and right in France.
Attended a private elite school since childhood,
At the age of 26, he inherited his father's estate and became a millionaire
Attar was born on March 16, 1989, to a wealthy Jewish family in the city of Clamard in the Île-de-France region of France. He has 3 sisters and is the only boy in the family. His father, Yves Attar, was a lawyer and filmmaker, and his mother, Marie de Couris, worked in a film production company. The father is half Tunisian Jewish and the mother is half Alsatian Jewish.
Attar attended an elite private school from an early age. After Xi at the Institut d'Alsace in the 6th arrondissement of Paris, he was admitted to Sciences Po, a top French university in 2007, and obtained a diploma from the University College and a master's degree in public affairs in 2013. Since the founding of the French Fifth Republic, six of the eight presidents, including current President Emmanuel Macron, former President François Hollande, Sarkozy, and Jacques Chirac, have graduated from the university. In addition, 13 of the 19 previous prime ministers have also graduated from the university.
Influenced by his parents, Attar embarked on a political path at an early age. During the 2002 presidential campaign, at the age of 13, Atal followed his parents to demonstrations against Le Pen's election and has shown a keen interest in politics ever since.
In 2015, at the age of 26, Attar became a millionaire due to the death of his father and inherited more than 1 million euros.
Known as a "political prodigy",
It took only 6 years to go from MP to Prime Minister
In 2006, at the age of 17, Attar joined the Socialist Party. After graduating, Attar successfully entered the National Assembly for Xi and stepped directly into French politics. In 2012, he joined the cabinet team of then-Health Minister Marisol Tourena as the youngest ministerial adviser, responsible for writing ministerial speeches, among other things.
In 2016, Attar joined the "Republican Forward Party (later renamed Baath)" founded by Macron and became one of Macron's right-hand men in his presidential campaign.
In 2017, Macron was officially inaugurated as president of France. In the same year, the 28-year-old Atal was elected to parliament. Since then, his political career has risen rapidly, taking him from MP to prime minister in just six years.
In France, Attar is known as a "political prodigy" and has repeatedly broken records in French political history. In 2018, he became the spokesman for Macron's party, and in the same year he was appointed secretary of state, becoming the youngest deputy ministerial official in French history.
From 2020 to 2022, Attar became a household name in France as the youngest government spokesman during the pandemic. In 2022, Macron was re-elected as president, and Atal became Minister of Public Accounts. A year later, he was appointed by Macron as France's youngest education minister. Five months later, he became Prime Minister of France.
has openly been homosexual,
The ex-girlfriend is Jonathan, the French chanson diva
Attar is not only the youngest prime minister in France's history, but also the first French prime minister to openly be gay. He differed from other major French politicians in his private life.
In 2018, when Attar was appointed minister by Macron, he was made public as a gay by one of his old classmates, who at the time was Macron's former political adviser, Stefan Sejúne, according to Reuters. The 38-year-old is a former political adviser to Macron who became a member of the European Parliament.
Currently, Attar still lives with same-sex partner Stefan Sejourne, and their relationship is a "civil union", a marriage-like civil status under French law that provides gay couples with the same rights as heterosexual couples.
According to the report, Attar had a girlfriend in high school, which was also his first love. The girlfriend at that time is now also a household name - the well-known French female singer Joyce Jonathan. Known as the French Chanson diva, she published her first Chinese album in 2010, held a concert tour in China in 2011, and was invited to participate in Beijing Satellite TV's New Year's Eve song party in 2017.
Attar's first love
once dreamed of becoming a Hollywood star,
He is known as the "Macron boy" because of his good looks
According to the report, Atal is a young politician with both good looks and courage, and is known as "Little Macron" and "Macron Boy". He has gained many fans on social media because of his appearance, which has also become one of the reasons for his popularity.
According to the analysis, Attar is called "Little Macron" not only because of the similarity of the two in appearance, and because both of them became political stars at a young age, but also because their upbringing has many similarities.
Macron, a former child actor, fell in love with his drama teacher, his wife, Brigitte, while at school. Attar also loved acting since he was a child and dreamed of becoming a Hollywood star when he grew up.
The young Attar has attracted attention since his first entry into politics, not only because of his good looks, but also because of his calm and calm character in front of the media. All sectors in France agree that Attar will be a rising star in politics for decades to come.
Some French parliamentarians also said that Atal is like the previous Macron, loved by the public, with a fresh and good image, and at the same time authoritative.
Known as "Macron 2.0"
He is the favorite to become the next president of France
Macron, once hailed as the "golden boy" of French politics because of his youth and charisma, is now 46 years old and now entering middle age. According to the analysis, Macron's appointment of Atal as the new prime minister is likely to be cultivating a successor.
Known for his confident and handsome appearance, Attar earned a reputation for being firm and decisive despite his relative inexperience. According to the latest opinion polls, Attar is currently the most popular figure in the French government.
According to the French constitution, Macron, who has been re-elected for two terms, will no longer be able to run in the 2027 election. Attar is also the most vocal candidate in the 2027 election for France's next president. According to multiple polls, he is one of the most popular political figures in France at the moment with 40% support, compared to Macron's 27%.
French media analysis pointed out that Atal is like a young Macron, but his eloquence is even better, Atar is very young, but his public support is relatively high, and he is also a candidate acceptable to both the left and right in France, suitable for facing the severe challenges brought by the far-right leader Le Pen. However, the French right wing scoffed at Macron's "beautiful man plan". Le Pen said that the French should not expect anything from the new government and that the cabinet reshuffle is nothing more than a naïve ballet starring "ambition and conceit".
According to the Washington Post, European affairs researcher Maillard said: "Atal is Macron 2.0. He is just like Macron when he first became president in 2017, just as young, popular with young voters, very neat and authoritative, and Macron hopes to bring subversiveness with his high popularity, freshness and vitality. In 2027, Attar is likely to be Macron's political successor in the French presidential election. And the successor of far-right leader Le Pen, Badla, is equally youthful and relatable, and he is even younger, only 28 years old. The rivalry between Atal and Bhadra will be more exciting than the confrontation between Macron and Le Pen. ”
Attar was questioned by the French media as a "clone of Macron". As a close friend of the French president, he is often considered to be protected by Macron, with the French newspaper Le Monde describing him as "a believer among Macron's devotees". According to the analysis, if Attar wants to survive in the political world for a long time, he must find his own way, and he must keep a close distance from Macron.
Huashang Daily Gale News reporter Guo Ji compiled and edited Dong Lin