By AFP
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.
Macron late Monday accepted the resignation of Elisabeth Borne, 62, who served less than two years in office, ahead of a widely expected cabinet reshuffle that seeks to breathe new life into his mandate which has three years to go.
“The president of the republic appointed Mr Gabriel Attal prime minister, and tasked him with forming a government,” a presidential statement said.
The appointment was revealed much later than expected amid reports Attal’s rise had caused friction within the government.
But the leader of Macron’s Renaissance party in parliament Sylvain Maillard congratulated Attal on X saying “I am sure that you will be able to faithfully carry out our project and embody the values that are ours.”
