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French President Emmanuel Macron named Gabriel Atal as prime minister on Tuesday, seeking to give new impetus to his presidency ahead of June’s European Parliament (EP) elections, in which opinion polls promise a victory for the opposition National Union (RN). by Marine Le Pen.
The 34-year-old Atal is France’s youngest and first openly gay head of government. On Monday evening, Macron accepted the resignation of 62-year-old Elizabeth Bourne, who served as prime minister for less than two years. “The President of the Republic has appointed Mr. Gabriel Atal as Prime Minister and tasked him with forming a government,” the Elysee Palace said in a statement.
Bourne’s resignation is attributed to political divisions within the ruling party sparked by the recent passage of tough immigration laws. The bill was passed with the support of the right-wing opposition, but 20 MPs from the ruling Renaissance (RE) party founded by Macron voted against it and 17 abstained. Health Minister Aurelien Rousseau resigned in protest against the law, and other left-leaning ministers were also reportedly considering resigning.
The composition of the new government is expected to reflect major reshuffles in Macron’s team and also change the cabinet’s working style.
While Borne’s dry and reserved work style earned him respect in the eyes of his colleagues, it did not always please the public. At the same time, Atal, who previously held the politically important post of education minister, is the most popular member of the former government.
Macron confirmed on the social communications site “X” that he wants the new prime minister to recreate the atmosphere of bold change that marked the start of his first presidency in 2017. “I know that I can rely on your energy and your reliability,” said the owner of the Elysée Palace.
Atal’s appointment as Cabinet chief was predicted in advance, but the fact that the name of the new prime minister was not mentioned on Monday immediately after Borne’s resignation was announced has led to rumors that some heavyweights in the current government are with the not satisfied with the rapid career of “young Gabriel”. Among those dissatisfied are Interior Minister Geralds Darmanen and Finance Minister Bruno Lemères, but sources close to both have categorically denied this.
Meanwhile, Bourne’s resignation letter, obtained by AFP, shows that she resigned at Macron’s initiative and would have liked to remain in the prime minister’s chair.
Since his re-election as president in 2022, Macron has faced mass protests against unpopular pension reform, the loss of an absolute majority in parliamentary elections and difficulties surrounding reform of the immigration system.
Given that Macron is no longer allowed to run in the presidential election, several ministers have publicly expressed concern about a possible Le Pen victory in 2027.
The conservative newspaper “Le Figaro” notes that Borne leaves behind a fragile political situation. “The change of face in the leadership does not change the overall picture,” the newspaper insists, adding that her successor will have to deal with a huge “pile” of political problems while trying to unite the divided nation.
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