Gabriel Atal appointed the youngest Prime Minister of France

French President Emmanuel Macron named 34-year-old education minister Gabriel Atal as his new prime minister on Tuesday, as Macron seeks to breathe new life into his second term ahead of European Parliament elections.

The move won't necessarily lead to major political changes, but signals Macron's desire to move on from last year's unpopular pension and immigration reforms and improve his centrist party's chances in June's EU ballot. Gives.

Macron's camp trails far-right leader Marine Le Pen's party by around eight to ten percentage points in opinion polls.

Atal, a close ally of Macron who became a household name as a government spokesman during the COVID pandemic, will replace outgoing Prime Minister Elizabeth Bourne.

One of the country's most popular politicians in recent opinion polls, Atal has made a name for himself as a sensible minister, on radio shows and in Parliament.

"Dear @GabrielAttal, I know I can count on your energy and commitment to implement the plan of renewal and regeneration that I announced," said Macron, who At the end of last year, he said that he would announce new political initiatives.

Atal will be France's youngest prime minister and the first openly gay prime minister.

He and Macron have a combined age just short of Joe Biden, who is running for a second term in this year's US presidential election.

Macron has struggled to cope with a more turbulent parliament since losing his absolute majority shortly after seeking re-election in 2022.

Jordan Bardella, the 28-year-old leader of Le Pen's National Rally party, said, "By appointing Gabriel Atal... Emmanuel Macron wants to cling to his popularity in the opinion polls to ease one of the endless pains of his tenure." can go."

"Instead, he is running the risk of taking a short-term education minister with him in the fall."

Other opposition leaders were quick to say they did not expect much from a change of prime minister, with Macron taking much of the decision-making himself.

"Elisabeth Bourne, Gabriel Atal or anyone else, I don't care, it will only be the same policies," Socialist Party leader Olivier Faure told France Inter radio.