Gabriel Attal facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Gabriel Attal
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Attal in 2023
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| Prime Minister of France | |
| Assumed office 9 January 2024 |
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| President | Emmanuel Macron |
| Preceded by | Élisabeth Borne |
| Minister of National Education and Youth | |
| In office 20 July 2023 – 9 January 2024 |
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| Prime Minister | Élisabeth Borne |
| Preceded by | Pap Ndiaye |
| Minister of Public Action and Accounts | |
| In office 20 May 2022 – 20 July 2023 |
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| Prime Minister | Élisabeth Borne |
| Preceded by | Olivier Dussopt |
| Succeeded by | Thomas Cazenave |
| Spokesperson of the Government | |
| In office 6 July 2020 – 20 May 2022 |
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| Prime Minister | Jean Castex |
| Preceded by | Sibeth Ndiaye |
| Succeeded by | Olivia Grégoire |
| Secretary of State to the Minister of National Education and Youth | |
| In office 16 October 2018 – 6 July 2020 |
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| Prime Minister | Édouard Philippe |
| Preceded by | Position established |
| Succeeded by | Sarah El Haïry |
| Spokesperson of La République En Marche! | |
| In office 4 January 2018 – 16 October 2018 |
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| Preceded by | Benjamin Griveaux |
| Succeeded by | Laetitia Avia |
| Member of the National Assembly for Hauts-de-Seine's 10th constituency |
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| In office 21 June 2017 – 16 November 2018 |
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| Preceded by | André Santini |
| Succeeded by | Florence Provendier |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 16 March 1989 Clamart, France |
| Political party | Renaissance (2016–present) |
| Other political affiliations |
Socialist Party (2006–2016) |
| Domestic partner | Stéphane Séjourné (2015–likely defunct) |
| Education | École alsacienne |
| Alma mater | Sciences Po University of Paris 2 Panthéon-Assas |
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Gabriel Attal ( born 16 March 1989) is a French politician of the Renaissance (RE) party who has been serving as prime minister since 9 January 2024.
After election to the French National Assembly in June 2017, he quickly rose through the political ranks, becoming a junior minister to the minister of national education and youth in 2018, Government Spokesperson in 2020, minister of public action and accounts in 2022 and minister of national education and youth in 2023.
On 9 January 2024, Attal was appointed by President Emmanuel Macron to replace Élisabeth Borne as prime minister. At the age of 34, he became the youngest and first openly gay person to hold the office in France, and the youngest serving state leader in the world. A political ally of Macron, he has been described as a potential contender for the 2027 presidential election.
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Early life and education
Attal was born on 16 March 1989 in Clamart, Île-de-France. He grew up in the 13th and 14th arrondissements (districts) of Paris with three sisters. His father, Yves Attal, was a lawyer and film producer of half Tunisian Jewish descent (on the paternal side) and half Alsatian Jewish descent (on the maternal side). Attal's mother, Marie de Couriss, was of French and Greek-Russian ancestry, and worked as an employee of a film production company. Attal was raised in his mother's religion of Orthodox Christianity.
Attal attended a private school, the École alsacienne, in the 6th arrondissement. His political activity started when he participated in the 2006 youth protests in France. Taking up a place at Sciences Po in 2007, he created a committee for the support of Íngrid Betancourt, the Franco-Colombian hostage held by the FARC. He graduated from Sciences Po in 2012 with a Master of Public Affairs, having studied law at Panthéon-Assas University from 2008 to 2011, with a year (2009-2010) spent working with Éric de Chassey, director of the French Academy at Rome.
Political career
National advisory and municipal
After an internship at the French National Assembly with Marisol Touraine during the 2012 presidential campaign, Attal worked for five years as an advisor to the Minister of Health, a role which involved parliamentary liaison and speechwriting.
In the 2014 municipal elections, Attal was placed fifth on the Socialist Party list. He was elected as one of the four Socialist Party councilors of Vanves and took over the lead of the opposition, after the resignation of the head of the socialist list.
Member of the National Assembly (2017–2018)
Attal was elected to the French National Assembly on 18 June 2017, representing the Hauts-de-Seine's 10th constituency, winning out over the designated successor of André Santini.
Attal was quickly considered one of the most talented new members of parliament, with Amélie de Montchalin. As a deputy of the National Assembly he became a member of the Committee on Cultural and Education Affairs, where he served as whip of the group La République En Marche!.
In December 2017, Attal was appointed rapporteur on a bill on access to higher education.
Attal was named spokesperson of La République En Marche! in January 2018 and in September 2018, after the election of Richard Ferrand to the presidency of the National Assembly, he ran as a candidate to succeed him as president of the group La République En Marche!, but withdrew his candidacy the day before the election when he was considered one of the three favourites. He later endorsed Roland Lescure.
Member of the Government (2018–2024)
On 16 October 2018, Attal was appointed Secrétaire d'État (junior minister) to the Minister of National Education and Youth Jean-Michel Blanquer. At 29, he was the youngest member of a government under the Fifth Republic, beating the previous record set by François Baroin in 1995 by a few months. He was responsible for youth issues and setting up universal national service.
He was the government spokesperson under Prime Minister Jean Castex from 2020 to 2022. He became Minister of Public Action and Accounts in the government of Prime Minister Élisabeth Borne in May 2022.
In July 2023, Attal was appointed minister of national education and youth in the 2023 French government reshuffle. At the age of 34, he became the youngest person to hold that office under the Fifth Republic. In this position, he announced the ban on more religious symbols in French public schools that already included Christian crosses, Jewish Kippahs and Islamic veils.
Prime Minister
Following Borne's resignation as prime minister on 8 January 2024, media sources announced Attal as favourite to succeed her. His appointment as Prime Minister was announced on 9 January 2024. At the age of 34, he became the youngest and first openly gay person to hold the office in France.
There has been speculation in the French media that Attal could be a contender in the 2027 presidential election.
Personal life
Attal is gay and previously lived in a civil union with Stéphane Séjourné, a member of the European Parliament for La République En Marche!. The relationship had ended by 2024.
See also
In Spanish: Gabriel Attal para niños
- 2017 French legislative election
- Second Philippe government
