Former Prime Minister Gabriel Attal launches 2027 French presidential campaign

The upcoming French presidential election is scheduled for April 18, 2027, with a run-off round set for May 2 if no candidate wins an outright majority. Incumbent President Emmanuel Macron is constitutionally barred from running for a third consecutive term. In his place, the 37-year-old Attal will represent the ruling Renaissance party platform.

Current polling projections indicate a challenging path ahead for the centrist camp, forecasting a second-round victory for Le Pen, with Attal now capturing 45% of the run-off vote.

In January 2024, at age 34, Attal made history as France's youngest-ever Prime Minister. French media widely viewed his appointment as a strategic move by the Élysée Palace to counter the rising popularity of 28-year-old Jordan Bardella, who took over the National Rally leadership from Marine Le Pen. Attal later resigned from his post following the June 30, 2024 general elections, with President Macron formally accepting his resignation on July 16, 2024.

Attal was born on March 16, 1989, in Clamart, a suburban area near Paris. His late father, Yves Attal, was a film producer who worked alongside world-renowned directors including Bernardo Bertolucci, Pedro Almodóvar, and Roberto Benigni before passing away from cancer in 2015. His mother, Marie de Couriss, produced corporate media films.

Attal began his political journey within the Socialist Party before departing in 2016 to join Emmanuel Macron's movement, En Marche! (later rebranded as La République En Marche! and ultimately Renaissance).

He won a seat in the National Assembly in 2017 and joined the cabinet in late 2018 as State Secretary to the Ministry of National Education and Youth, becoming the youngest government official under the Fifth Republic at age 29. In mid-2020, he served as official spokesperson for Prime Minister Jean Castex's government during the COVID-19 pandemic, becoming one of the most recognizable public figures in France. He later served as Minister Delegate for Public Accounts from 2022 to 2023, before being named Education Minister in mid-2023.

Who is Gabriel Attal?

Gabriel Attal is the Secretary-General of the center-right Renaissance party, former Prime Minister of France, and an official presidential candidate for 2027.

• Age: 37

• Birthplace: Clamart, France

• Education: Panthéon-Assas University Paris (Law), Sciences Po (Public Affairs)

Political Timeline & Career

• 2006: Joined the French Socialist Party.

• 2012: Began working as an advisor to the Minister of Health following an internship at the National Assembly.

• 2016: Left the Socialists to join Emmanuel Macron's newly formed En Marche! movement.

• 2017–2018: Elected to the National Assembly; subsequently appointed State Secretary to the Ministry of Education.

• 2020–2022: Served as Government Spokesperson and later as Minister Delegate for Public Accounts. Promoted Macron's controversial pension reform despite nationwide strikes.

• 2023: Appointed Minister of National Education and Youth at age 34, becoming the youngest person to hold the post.

• 2024: Became the youngest Prime Minister in modern French history. Resigned after eight months in office following snap parliamentary elections, taking over as leader of the Renaissance parliamentary group.

• 2026: Formally declared his candidacy for the 2027 French presidential election.

Policy positions & background

Is openly gay and in a civil partnership with French politician Stéphane Séjourné.

Banned wearing of abayas (traditional long dresses) in public schools during his tenure as Education Minister, sparking debate among civil rights groups.

Supports legalizing surrogate motherhood in France.

Opposes the mass regularization of undocumented migrants.

Strongly advocates for continued financial and military aid to Ukraine.

Visited Ukraine with his mother in 2024, traveling to a village in Odesa Oblast to pay tribute to his ancestors' roots.

Public scandals & challenges

• Outing Incident (2018): In October 2018, a former university classmate publicly disclosed Attal's sexual orientation on Twitter. Attal formally confirmed his orientation during an interview with L'Obs magazine in December 2018.

• Online Harassment (2023): Faced a heavy wave of homophobic and anti-Semitic online harassment following his appointment as Education Minister.