New year, new face.France’s youngest-ever president naming the country’s youngest-ever prime minister. We willl ask why Emmanuel Macron chose to replace Elisabeth Borne with Gabriel Attal and chart the meteoric rise of a 34-year old Parisian who has already enjoyed stints as city councilor, party spokesperson, budget minister, government spokesperson and most recently education minister.
Of course it is France and with so much power concentrated inside the gates of the presidential palace, the title of prime minister does not carry the same clout as elsewhere in Europe. With a minority government in parliament and polling in the doldrums, how much will the term-limited Macron micromanage the most charismatic head of government France has seen in a long while?
First test, coming up with a compelling narrative that can counter the far-right where Marine Le Pen’s got an even younger party leader Jordan Bardella, 28, who for now tops all polls for next June’s European elections. For a Macron who sometimes seems to lay claim to the title of president of Europe a new high for the far-right would not be a great look.