French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal, who identifies as gay, said he will resign in the wake of projections that show a leftist coalition has surged to the lead in legislative elections, per the AP. However, The Guardian has noted that President Emmanuel Macron has asked him to stay on for the time being.
He planned to present his resignation on July 8 but said if needed he could stay on through the Paris Olympics or longer.
A leftist coalition, the New Popular Front, has won the most seats in the 2024 French legislative election, repelling a far-right surge but failing to win a majority. This result leaves France facing the prospect of a hung parliament—and political paralysis.
Attal, 34, was named to the position in January, Windy City Times had noted, citing the BBC. He succeeded Elisabeth Borne, who resigned after 20 months in office—and became the youngest prime minister in modern French history.
At 29, Attal became the youngest-ever minister in the Fifth Republic, with a junior post at education; from 2020, he was government spokesman and his face began to register with the voters; after Macron’s re-election, he was briefly budget minister and then headed education last July.