French President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday appointed 34-year-old Education Minister Gabriel Attal as his new Prime Minister ahead of the European Parliament elections. Attal is set to become France’s youngest Prime Minister and the first openly gay person to hold the position.
Who Is Gabriel Attal?
At the age of 17, Attal embarked on his political journey by joining the Socialist Party. Before being named Prime Minister, Attal was appointed Minister of National Education and Youth in the French government in 2023, following a reshuffle.
In May 2022, Attal assumed the role of Minister of Public Action and Accounts in Prime Minister Élisabeth Borne’s government. Attal also served as the government spokesperson during Prime Minister Jean Castex’s tenure from 2020 to 2022.
In October 2018, Attal became the junior minister to the Minister of National Education and Youth, Jean-Michel Blanquer, making him the youngest member of a government under the Fifth Republic at 29 years old.
In 2017, Attal was elected to the French National Assembly, representing the Hauts-de-Seine 10th constituency.
List Of World Leaders Who Are Openly Gay:
Edgars Rinkēvičs
Edgars Rinkēvičs is the President of Latvia; he was the first government official to come out in Latvia as gay in 2014.
Leo Varadkar
Leo Varadkar Taoiseach (Prime Minister) of Ireland. Varadkar came out as gay two years after assuming office in 2017, prior to Ireland’s referendum legalising same-sex marriage. He is the first openly gay Irish PM.
Ana Brnabić
Ana Brnabić, Prime Minister of Serbia, became Serbia’s first gay prime minister after assuming office in 2017.