Gabriel Attal is the current Prime Minister of France, taking office in January 2024.
He is a member of the Renaissance Party, a centrist political movement founded by Emmanuel Macron.
He is the youngest and first openly gay person to hold the position of head of state of a G7 country. He is also one of the most popular politicians in France and a potential candidate for the 2027 presidential election.
File
- Full name: Gabriel Nissim Attal de Couriss
- Date of birth: March 16, 1989
- Age: 35 years old
- Gender: Male
- Place of birth: Clamart, Île-de-France, France
- Nationality: French
- Occupation: Politician
- Height: 1.75 m
- Parents: Yves Attal (father), a lawyer and film producer of Jewish-Tunisian origin; Marie de Couriss (mother), an Orthodox journalist from Odessa
- Siblings: Three sisters: Sarah, Judith and Esther
- Spouse: None
- Children: None
- Relationship status: Single (formerly in a relationship with Stéphane Séjourné, a political advisor, from 2015 to 2022)
- Net worth: $5 million
Early life and education
Gabriel Attal, now 35 years old, was born on March 16, 1989 in Clamart, a suburb of Paris.
He grew up with three sisters in the 13th and 14th arrondissement of Paris. He had a comfortable and privileged childhood, but he also faced bullying at school.
He was educated at the École Alsacienne, a prestigious private school that has produced many famous politicians and artists.
He learned English early and became interested in politics in 2002 when he attended a protest against far-right leader Jean-Marie Le Pen.
He joined the Socialist Party in 2006 and supported its presidential candidate, Ségolène Royal, in the 2007 election.
He then attended Sciences Po, earning a bachelor’s degree in political science and a master’s degree in public affairs. He also studied law at the University of Paris 2 Panthéon-Assas.
Personal life
Gabriel Attal is openly gay and a strong advocate for LGBTQ+ rights. He came out in 2018 when his former classmate Juan Branco revealed his sexual orientation on Twitter.
From 2015 to 2022, he was in a relationship with Stéphane Séjourné, a political adviser and close ally of Emmanuel Macron. They split amicably and remain friends.
As of 2024, Attal has no children. He is also Jewish and Christian and said his father told him he would feel Jewish all his life and would always face anti-Semitism because of his name.
He was baptized a Catholic but did not practice any religion.
Career
Gabriel Attal began his political career in 2012 when he joined the office of health minister Marisol Touraine as a rookie with work experience.
He impressed Touraine with his skills and became her parliamentary assistant. He followed Touraine to the Ministry of Social Affairs, advising her until 2016.
He left the Socialist Party in 2016 and joined En Marche!, the new centrist movement created by Emmanuel Macron. He became one of the movement’s spokespeople and a staunch supporter of Macron.
He was elected to the National Assembly in 2017, representing the 10th constituency of Hauts-de-Seine.
He was the youngest member of parliament at the time.
He quickly gained a reputation as a talented and eloquent debater, earning the nickname The Word Gunner.
In 2018, he was also appointed as the Spokesperson of the Renaissance Party, now rebranded as En Marche! He left his seat in parliament in 2018 when he was appointed Minister of National Education and Youth.
He became the youngest person to serve in the French government. He was in charge of implementing the national service program for young people, along with many other projects.
He was promoted to government spokesperson in 2020, replacing Sibeth Ndiaye. He has been the government’s main voice during the COVID-19 pandemic, communicating health measures and vaccination campaigns to the public.
He is also involved in a controversial global security bill that would restrict the filming of police.
He succeeds Olivier Dussopt as Minister of Public Action and Accounts in 2022. He is responsible for public finance management and the post-pandemic recovery plan.
He will return to the Ministry of National Education and Youth Affairs in 2023, replacing Pap Ndiaye. He will focus on improving the quality of education, reducing inequality and promoting civic values.
He became Prime Minister of France on 9 January 2024, after Élisabeth Borne resigned amid a major government crisis.
He was appointed by Emmanuel Macron, who praised his competence, loyalty and dynamism. He becomes the youngest and first openly gay person to serve as head of government of the G7.
He is expected to continue Macron’s agenda, leaning to the right on security and immigration issues but also tackling the country’s social and economic challenges.
Prize
Gabriel Attal does not hold traditional awards in politics, but he has received recognition for his contributions in a variety of ways:
- Legion of Honor: Awarded the prestigious Chevalier de la Légion d’honneur in 2023 for services to the country.
- Out100: Named one of the most influential LGBTQ+ people of 2020 by Out magazine.
GQ Man of the Year: GQ France nominated him for the 2020 Politician of the Year award.
Net worth
According to various sources, Gabriel Attal’s net worth is around $5 million.
The majority of his wealth comes from his political career, especially his tenure as Minister of National Education and Youth.
Argumentative
Gabriel Attal has faced several controversies during his political career, such as:
- Benalla affair: He was accused of involvement in a scandal that erupted in 2018 when Alexandre Benalla, Macron’s former security aide, was caught on video attacking protesters. Attal is suspected of helping Benalla obtain a diplomatic passport and a gun permit, which he denies.
- COVID-19 pandemic: He has been criticized for his handling of the health crisis, particularly delays and shortages in the vaccination campaign, lack of transparency about data and frequent changes to restrictions.
- Global Security Bill: He was one of the main backers of the controversial bill to restrict the filming of police, which sparked massive protests and accusations of undermining civil liberties and press freedom.
Social media
- Instagram: @gabrielattal
- X: @GabrielAttal
