In a bold bid to revitalize his chances of getting a second term, French President Emanuel Macron has named Gabriel Attal as the new prime minister. He is replacing Élisabeth Borne who has resigned after 20 months in office.

Mr. Attal will now have the task of leading the French government into the important European Parliamentary Elections in June.

His rise to popularity in politics has been rapid. Ten years ago he was an obscure advisor in the health ministry. In the wake of the 2017 election which saw Macron enter the presidency, Mr. Attal became a member of parliament. In 2020 he became a government spokesperson and started to gain some popularity with voters. He was then briefly budget minister and later took over at the Ministry of Education in July. It was here that he created the rules which banned the Muslim abaya robes in schools.

He has promised to act boldly in helping middle-class families weather the impact of the rising cost of living which aligns with the promises made by Emanuel Macron.