On January 9, 2024, the appointment of Gabriel Attal marked the history of the Fifth Republic for two reasons: he is the youngest tenant of Matignon and is the first to speak openly about his homosexuality. In the columns of Parisianon February 10, Emmanuel Macron’s current right-hand man declared that he had never hidden who he was. “I never made it a standard either”he added while he noted with pride the way in which his sexual orientation had been discussed in France in comparison with the international press. “I noted upon my appointment that, in the international press, the most commented topic was my sexual orientation. In France, it wasn’t a subject at all. A non-event”, underlined the Prime Minister. According to him, this is proof that, ten years after equal marriage, mentalities have evolved on the subject in France. This is not the first time that the head of government has openly discussed his homosexuality. During his general policy speech to deputies on January 30, he declared: “Being French in 2024 means – in a country which, only 10 years ago, was torn apart over marriage for all – to be able to be Prime Minister while openly assuming his homosexuality”.
Gabriel Attal was given a dog when he was appointed to Matignon
During his interview with our colleagues from Parisian, Gabriel Attal was questioned about the photo of a dog that he had shown to the National Assembly during the motion of censure. He explained that it was his pet. “I have always loved animals. On the occasion of my appointment, my family surprised me and we adopted a dog. A female, of the Chow-chow breed. Since she runs everywhere, I named her after the inventor of the electric battery, Volta. In the hemicycle, during the motion of censure, my sisters sent me a photo of my dog in the garden. Spontaneously, I wanted to share this moment with the ministers next to me.”he said, not wanting to disrespect the members of the opposition, who according to him, sometimes do much worse when he speaks in the hemicycle.