Minister of the Budget since May 2022, Gabriel Attal was recently appointed Minister of National Education. He replaces Pap Ndiaye, who had been in office for a little over a year. School career, prayer life and political rise, we tell you everything about Gabriel Attal.
What does it mean to be Budget Minister?
The French government has a minister responsible for the Budget. Depending on the governments and the missions assigned to it, the position may be slightly different. He may, for example, be responsible for the Civil Service or State Reform. This also influences the name of the position, which can be minister responsible for the Budget, delegate minister or secretary of state to the Minister of the Economy and Finance. Gabriel Attal has held these positions since May 20, 2022, as Minister Delegate to the Minister of the Economy, Finance and Industrial and Digital Sovereignty, responsible for Public Accounts.
Minister responsible for the Budget is a position that has many missions, although they always relate to the economy or finance. Thus, the Minister responsible for the Budget deals with all questions relating to:
- For the preparation and execution of the budget
- Taxes, cadastre (land ownership) and land registration
- Customs and indirect duties
- To public budgetary and accounting management
- Pensions and the administrative and financial management of the State civil service pension scheme
Depending on his missions, the Minister of the Budget is required to work with numerous stakeholders, such as the Minister of Health and Prevention for the preparation of the Social Security financing law as well as the Minister of Justice, Minister of Justice, for the fight against corruption.
The career of Gabriel Attal, Minister of the Budget
The school and university career of Gabriel Attal
Gabriel Attal was born on March 16, 1989 in Clamart, a Paris suburb. He then grew up in inner-city Paris and lived with his father, Yves Attal, a lawyer and then a film producer, his mother, Marie de Couriss, an employee in a production company, as well as his four brothers and sisters.
He completed his schooling at the École Alsacienne, a private establishment under contract in the 6th arrondissement of Paris before being admitted in 2007 to Sciences Po Paris. At the end of his studies, Gabriel Attal obtained his master’s degree in public affairs as well as a law degree, which he followed at the Panthéon-Assas University.
The political commitment of Gabriel Attal
Gabriel Attal became passionate about politics very early on. It all started in his high school years during which he campaigned, in particular against the First Hire Contract, a permanent contract intended for those under 26 which included a consolidation period of 2 years during which the employer could dismiss the employee without justifying a pattern.
From 2006, in parallel with his studies at Sciences Po, Gabriel Attal became a member of the Socialist Party (PS), and supported Ségolène Royal during the presidential elections of 2007. At the end of his studies, he joined the cabinet of Marisol Touraine, at then Minister of Social Affairs and Health. He is notably responsible for writing his speeches.
It was in 2014 that his political career took a turning point, as he became a municipal councilor of Vanves. In this process, he returned his PS card and joined La République En Marche (LREM), Emmanuel Macron’s party. The same year, he ran for legislative elections and was elected deputy in the tenth constituency of Haut-de-Seine. At 28 years old, Gabriel Attal is one of the youngest deputies in the National Assembly.
Gabriel Attal then built his place in the government, through the position of Secretary of State within the Ministry of National Education, then government spokesperson, before being appointed Minister Delegate in charge of Public Accounts within the government of Elisabeth Borne.
The private life of Gabriel Attal
On the private side, the minister frequented the famous singer Joyce Jonathan when he was a teenager, with whom he shared the benches of the Alsatian School.
Gabriel Attal is now in a relationship with MEP Stéphane Séjourné. Their meeting took place during a work meeting in Bercy, during which the two men fell in love with each other. The two men are united by a civil solidarity pact, better known as PACS.
Gabriel Attal’s major projects
Since his arrival at the ministry, Gabriel Attal has worked on several measures. While France’s deficit is around 170 billion euros in 2023, social fraud is estimated at 8 billion euros. Fraud is one of the projects of Elisabeth Borne’s government, and therefore a mission of Gabriel Attal. The latter unveiled a plan to combat social fraud at the end of May. Merger of the vital card and identity card, tightening of the conditions for benefiting from social benefits for French people living abroad, the government wishes to double the adjustments by 2027. First measure put in place: since July 1, the government no longer pays family allowances to accounts abroad outside the EU.
Tax fraud, for its part, is estimated at more than 80 billion euros, enough to fill part of the holes in the French budget. Gabriel Attal is banking on new measures to combat this type of fraud. The objective is in particular to increase tax audits by 25%, and more particularly those of the largest assets. To achieve this, elite agents will be trained and will constitute real tax intelligence by 2027.
More generally, it is debt reduction which is one of the main missions of the Minister for Public Accounts. In addition to measures concerning social and tax fraud, contracts are in the State’s sights. Some private establishments invoice training financed by the State by adding a disproportionate margin rate, which Gabriel Attal intends to take back.
The French tax is also one of Gabriel Attal’s projects. He particularly wants to help the middle classes. Last May, President Emmanuel Macron announced a tax cut of 2 billion euros for this social class. The minister confirmed: “in 2027, the French and businesses will pay less taxes than in 2022”.
Gabriel Attal becomes the youngest Minister of National Education
While Élisabeth Borne has already been confirmed in her position a few days ago, several ministerial changes have taken place. Among others, Aurore Berger is appointed Minister of Solidarity, and Aurélien Rousseau Minister of Health, but the former Minister of Public Accounts is also affected by this ministerial reshuffle.
Gabriel Attal is leaving his post as Minister for Public Accounts to join the Ministry of National Education. At 34, this is the first time he has held a full ministry. Gabriel Attal therefore replaces Pap Ndiaye, who had been in office since May 2022. The former Minister of Public Accounts is, however, familiar with the Ministry of Education since he was Secretary of State under Jean-Michel Blanquer, between 2018 and 2020.
Now Minister of National Education, Gabriel Attal is at the head of a ministry of more than a million employees and a budget of nearly 100 billion euros.
