Gabriel Attal Picked As France's Youngest PM

Paris, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 10th Jan, 2024) French leader Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday picked Gabriel Attal as prime minister in a bid to give new momentum to his presidency, with the 34-year-old becoming France's youngest and first openly gay head of government.

Following days of speculation, Macron on Monday accepted the resignation of Elisabeth Borne, 62, who stepped down after serving less than two years in office.

The overhaul comes ahead of the Olympic Games in Paris and European parliament elections this summer, where Macron's centrist forces risk defeat at the hands of the far-right under Marine Le Pen.

It also further intensifies manoeuvring to succeed Macron, who himself took office in 2017, aged just 39, ahead of 2027 presidential elections.

A wider cabinet reshuffle is expected this week as Macron seeks to sharpen his team for the final three years of his presidency.

Attal hailed his appointment as a symbol of "audacity and movement" as he took over from Borne during an official ceremony at the prime minister's Matignon residence in Paris.

"France will never be synonymous with decline, France will be synonymous with transformation, France will be synonymous with audacity," he said.

Borne, only the second woman to lead the French government, said she would continue to serve France as a lawmaker, telling women that "the future belongs to you."