Emmanuel Macron has appointed France’s youngest ever prime minister – and the first to be openly gay.

The French president is expected to officially confirm the appointment of 34-year-old Gabriel Attal, who became a household name as government spokesperson during the COVID pandemic.

The education minister will replace the outgoing prime minister, Elisabeth Borne, as Mr Macron looks to breathe new life into his second term ahead of European parliament elections in June.

While the move will not necessarily lead to any major political change, it’s viewed as an attempt by Mr Macron to move beyond last year’s unpopular pension and immigration reforms.

Polls show his camp trails far-right leader Marine Le Pen’s party by around eight to 10 percentage points – and bringing the popular Mr Attal on board could be a bid to narrow the gap.

“Gabriel Attal is a bit like the Macron of 2017,” said MP for Mr Macron’s Renaissance Party, Patrick Vignal.

At the time a popular figure among voters, Mr Macron first took office as the youngest leader in modern French history.

Mr Vignal said he first met Mr Attal more than a decade ago, describing him as someone who “is clear” and “has authority”.

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