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Gabriel Attal becomes France's youngest-ever prime minister

France's 34-year-old education minister is appointed as the country's new prime minister and the first to be gay. It's seen as a move by Emmanuel Macron to boost his party's popularity ahead of European elections in June.

La rédaction de Mediapart

This article is freely available.

Emmanuel Macron has appointed France's youngest ever prime minister - and the first to be gay, reports Sky News.

The French president confirmed the appointment of 34-year-old Gabriel Attal, who became a household name as government spokesperson during the COVID pandemic.

The education minister will replace the outgoing prime minister, Élisabeth Borne, as Mr Macron, 46, looks to breathe new life into his second term ahead of European parliament elections in June.

While the move will not necessarily lead to any major political change, it's viewed as an attempt by Mr Macron to move beyond last year's unpopular pension and immigration reforms.

Polls show his camp trails far-right leader Marine Le Pen's party by around eight to 10 percentage points - and bringing the popular Mr Attal on board could be a bid to narrow the gap.

Read more of this report from Sky News.