Europe | Gabriel Attal

Meet Gabriel Attal, France’s young prime minister

The challenge for Macron’s mini-me

French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal and French President Emmanuel Macron.
The cloning of the presidentPhotograph: REA
|OTTAWA AND PARIS

Standing side by side at a war memorial in Ottawa, two leaders prepared to lay a wreath in honour of their countries’ fallen soldiers. The Canadian, Justin Trudeau, was once one of the West’s youngest leaders. The Frenchman, Gabriel Attal, is France’s youngest modern prime minister. As he stepped forward the 35-year-old Mr Attal glanced, more than once, at his elder counterpart for protocol cues. On his first official trip outside Europe, the fresh-faced French leader was on full display and did not want to put a foot wrong.

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This article appeared in the Europe section of the print edition under the headline “Macron’s mini-me”

From the May 18th 2024 edition

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