Attal picked as France’s youngest PM

PARIS: French leader Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday picked Gabriel Attal as prime minister in a bid to give new momentum to his presidency, with the 34-year-old becoming France’s youngest and first openly gay head of government.

Following days of speculation, Macron late Monday accepted the resignation of Elisabeth Borne, 62, who stepped down along with the rest of the government after serving less than two years in office.

The overhaul comes ahead of the Olympic Games in Paris and European parliament elections this summer, where Macron’s centrist forces risk defeat at the hands of the far-right under Marine Le Pen. A wider cabinet reshuffle is expected this week as Macron seeks to sharpen his team for the final three years of his presidency.