Attal promises to ‘liberate French potential’ in first speech as PM
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00:00 Actually, I'm just being told that we're going to cross live to Matignon.
00:03 We're bringing you some French politics news breaking now on the programme.
00:06 The brand new prime minister and the outgoing prime minister.
00:10 They're just starting to speak.
00:11 Let's listen to what they both have to say.
00:14 Government departments that I've led over the past few years,
00:18 the teams at Matignon and my private office,
00:22 I fully recognise the work that they've undertaken day and often.
00:30 During the night, and I was very well supported.
00:33 So a very big thank you to them.
00:35 I'd also like to pay tribute
00:40 to all the partners who are essential
00:46 for our work serving the country.
00:49 I'm thinking of the local representatives
00:53 who day in, day out are serving our fellow citizens.
00:58 I'm also thinking of civil society practitioners, NGOs,
01:04 the champion key challenges of the green transition,
01:08 as well as equal opportunities and of course,
01:11 the social partners with whom
01:15 I've always had a relationship based on trust and respect.
01:21 I'm a firm believer in dialogue, in co-construction
01:26 and the strength of the collective group.
01:30 There were difficult times, but the dialogue was never broken off.
01:36 I'd like to say to the French people that each and every day,
01:42 as minister and then prime minister,
01:46 I devoted all my energy to serving them.
01:53 I worked tirelessly without seeking
01:59 to achieve major achievements
02:05 and starting from the daily lives of our fellow citizens
02:09 to try and achieve rapid and tangible results.
02:12 That's the way I operate.
02:16 And I make no apology for it.
02:20 Now, Mr. Prime Minister, dear Gabriel,
02:24 I spoke of recognition, but I'd also like to speak of pride.
02:30 I'm proud of the work accomplished over the past 20 months,
02:37 during which, in very unusual conditions at Parliament,
02:43 I strove to push through our budget,
02:49 the pension reform, the immigration bill
02:53 and over 50 pieces of legislation
02:58 to meet the expectations of our country and our fellow citizens.
03:02 We were able to forge majorities,
03:05 so as to bridge divides,
03:12 as the president stated.
03:15 And I'm proud that our country now has a tangible,
03:20 green transformation project.
03:23 Throughout these months and years,
03:28 I have never shirked any obstacle.
03:33 I have never shied away from any reform.
03:38 I implemented the projects that I viewed
03:42 as necessary for our country.
03:46 And without trembling, I stayed the course set by the president.
03:50 And of course, today,
03:53 I feel very humble.
03:57 I'm acutely aware of everything that's left to be done.
04:03 I know what the challenges that lie ahead.
04:06 We must respond to them
04:10 and come together and more than ever give opportunities
04:16 to each and everyone build a France that is stronger
04:21 and fairer in a more sovereign Europe.
04:24 Mr. Prime Minister, dear Gabriel,
04:28 as I pass the baton to you,
04:33 I'm confident we know one another well.
04:37 We've both of us committed
04:40 from the word go behind the prime minister.
04:44 You have the determination and energy to lead a team
04:49 and to deliver the projects necessary for our country.
04:54 You have this willingness
04:58 and this determination to be true to your word in knowing
05:02 that you've been appointed to this office.
05:05 I'm confident and I would extend to you my best wishes.
05:08 You can count on me to support you.
05:12 Therein lies the success of our country.
05:15 And really, that ultimately is the only thing that counts.
05:18 And I'd like to end on a more personal note.
05:23 In taking office,
05:27 I sent out a message to all the young girls,
05:30 saying to them to really fulfill their dreams.
05:36 And I believe that my career has demonstrated
05:42 that whatever the background, everything is possible.
05:45 And I was also able to see very often
05:50 there's still some way to go to achieve equality
05:54 between women and men.
05:56 So I say this to all women, hold fast.
06:01 The future is in your hands.
06:03 And more broadly, there's still some way to go.
06:07 So that everyone,
06:10 whatever their background, whatever their social origin,
06:15 their postal code should have their full opportunities
06:21 based on their merit and their talents.
06:23 So to all of you, I'd like to say that at your side,
06:27 I will continue the fight. Thank you.
06:29 (applause)
06:32 (applause)
06:35 (applause)
06:37 (applause)
06:39 (applause)
06:42 (applause)
07:09 (speaking French)
07:11 Madam Prime Minister, dear Elizabeth, ladies and gentlemen,
07:16 since 1936, since Léon Blum,
07:19 it's here from the Hotel de Matignon
07:23 that our Prime Ministers have striven to forge France
07:30 for over 20 months.
07:33 You've contributed to build the France of tomorrow.
07:36 At the President's side, you were a Prime Minister of action
07:41 and courage, your personal history,
07:43 as well as your political ethics,
07:48 have made of you an example for your ministers
07:51 and for the MPs that you referred to.
07:54 And more broadly, I believe this deeply for the French people,
07:58 we all know what we owe you.
08:00 Elizabeth, Madam Prime Minister, thank you for everything.
08:05 As I take up my duties,
08:08 it's firstly to the President of the Republic
08:12 that I'd like to address my sincere thanks.
08:15 These past few hours, as I was able to read or hear,
08:18 the youngest President in history
08:22 appoints the youngest Prime Minister in history.
08:24 I can see only one symbol, that of boldness and movement,
08:29 the symbol, above all, of trust
08:33 that, accorded to the young people,
08:37 this generation that deserves that we should fight for it
08:40 tirelessly these past few months.
08:42 I've devoted my full energy to try and rekindle the hope
08:47 of this generation, its parents,
08:49 by working for the school of the Republic.
08:52 Let me say at the outset that I carry with me here,
08:57 too, Martignan, the cause of education.
09:01 The school is the mother of our battles,
09:04 must be at the heart of our priorities,
09:06 and as Prime Minister, I will give it
09:10 all the necessary resources to be successful,
09:13 be one of my foremost priorities at the head of this government.
09:18 There will be a form of continuity
09:21 by taking strong decisions on the bayard, on secularism.
09:27 It's in the name of freedom and secularism and equality
09:35 that I committed myself with strong decisions
09:39 in the fight against harassment.
09:41 I committed to fraternity, liberty, equality, fraternity.
09:47 This motto of the school is also that of the Republic,
09:50 and it will always be my compass.
09:53 But ladies and gentlemen, I'm aware of the context
09:58 as I take up office.
10:00 Too many French people doubt themselves of their future.
10:05 I'm thinking particularly of the middle classes,
10:08 which is the heartbeat of our country
10:11 and the strength of French nation.
10:13 These men and women, these families
10:15 who get up early every morning to go to work across our country,
10:19 we never, don't often hear them, but always shoulder
10:24 their responsibilities as middle class that funds
10:27 through its work of public services and social model.
10:30 These French people who sometimes are lost,
10:33 the French doubt, and I know deep down,
10:37 they're also hopeful because deep down in the depths
10:41 of our conscious as French people, loving our country,
10:45 we know this France will never rhyme with decline.
10:49 It rhymes with a leap of faith, with boldness and grandeur.
10:54 And it's precisely to this task that I'll devote myself
10:58 under the president's leadership.
11:00 He was reelected on a clear project of action,
11:04 of transformation to really control our destiny.
11:09 And that of the future generation with the president,
11:12 I'll have but one goal to maintain the control
11:15 of our destiny and free up our resources,
11:21 to fight to preserve our social model,
11:24 to act for solidarity between French people,
11:28 to make the authority and respect of the others
11:32 a cardinal value and security a foremost goal,
11:37 to strengthen our public services,
11:40 the school first and foremost, health services,
11:43 and of course our hospitals, to strengthen our national
11:47 sovereignty and that of Europe by better controlling
11:52 immigration, guaranteeing the future of our planet,
11:55 which is the common good of humankind.
11:58 Free up the French potential means continuing
12:02 to transform our economy around three areas,
12:05 priority given to work, to work better,
12:09 must be better enhanced than not working when inflation
12:14 continues to affect the lives of French people,
12:19 to free up the economy by simplifying work for businesses
12:26 and then the focus on young people whose talent
12:30 just wants to express itself.
12:33 We're not starting from nowhere here for six years now.
12:37 A lot has been done, a lot has been said on the way,
12:41 and results are already there to be seen.
12:44 We have a historically low jobless rate for a number
12:49 of years, and you contributed strongly to that
12:52 as prime minister, but for the years ahead,
12:55 much remains to be done.
12:57 I'll devote my full energy to this task with the same
13:02 approach that I've always used, to clearly assess
13:06 the situation without ever lying to the French people
13:10 with compelling, strong actions, without taboo,
13:15 speak the truth and act without delay.
13:18 That's what I'll do as head of the French government.
13:21 Ladies and gentlemen, before concluding,
13:24 once again, my thoughts go to the President to express
13:30 my gratitude and loyalty to him, a word for our parliament,
13:34 to the majority, my gratefulness,
13:39 and I'll always remain one of them.
13:41 To the oppositions, I say to them that we share
13:44 the common destiny of our country, that of course,
13:47 we won't agree on everything, that we will oppose
13:52 one another, but I promise to always listen to them,
13:56 to respect them, because through them,
13:58 it's the voices of millions of French people
14:01 that are expressed.
14:02 For our local representatives who guarantee our republic,
14:06 our social partners who are our partners with everything
14:09 that that entails in terms of requirements and,
14:12 frankly, every day counts, I'll bring together
14:17 all these live forces to take this to a new level.
14:23 I'd also like to thank Edouard Philippe,
14:27 who was the first to place his trust in me
14:31 by appointing me to the government five years ago.
14:34 My thanks to you, Elizabeth, for your trust,
14:36 and Jean Castex, with whom I learned a lot here
14:41 as State Secretary, Spokesman, the government.
14:46 I learned at his side how the Prime Minister's office
14:51 operates and the importance of friendship in politics.
14:54 I know what I owe him, what our political family owes him
14:59 and what France owes to him.
15:01 In conclusion, I'd like to address all the French people,
15:08 wherever they live, whatever their background,
15:11 whatever their political opinions,
15:13 doesn't matter who they like or what they believe in.
15:18 They can always count on me with the President.
15:22 Every day, every minute, every second will be devoted to them
15:26 because there's nothing finer, nothing stronger,
15:30 nothing greater than to serve France and the French people.
15:33 Thank you.
15:35 APPLAUSE
15:37 An historic moment in French politics.
15:55 You've been listening live there to Gabriel Attal,
15:58 France's brand-new Prime Minister,
16:00 the youngest in the history of the country at just 34 years old.
16:05 In that speech, he thanked Macron for appointing him,
16:08 saying it showed the President's boldness.
16:11 He then spoke of the top priorities for the government now,
16:14 the environment, education and immigration.
16:18 That last one, of course, one of the thorny issues
16:21 that contributed to the end of the tenure of Elizabeth Warren,
16:25 the outgoing Prime Minister,
16:27 who you're looking at there on the screen.
16:30 Well, let's get some analysis on what's happening today.
16:33 Mark Perelman is our French politics editor.
16:36 He's with me now. Mark, quite a moment.
16:39 The guard has been handed over.
16:42 We have a new Prime Minister in France.
16:45 Your thoughts, first of all, on the tone of Gabriel Attal's speech?
16:49 Well, clearly, this was a rather serious, sombre tone.
16:54 He is now Prime Minister.
16:57 He's not the wonder kid of Emmanuel Macron's party anymore,
17:02 who went from junior minister to budget minister
17:05 to education minister to Prime Minister in the space of five years,
17:10 which is quite incredible to become the youngest Prime Minister,
17:14 also the first openly gay Prime Minister.
17:16 So lots of changes coming after only the second woman
17:21 Prime Minister in France, Elisabeth Borne.
17:24 So obviously, this was just a goodbye, farewell speech to Elisabeth Borne.
17:30 We don't really know what Gabriel Attal has in mind in terms of agenda and so on.
17:36 First of all, his first priority is to form a government.
17:40 We'll see whether most of the ministers in Elisabeth Borne's government
17:46 remain in the government or not.
17:48 There might be a few changes, but this is his first task.
17:52 Obviously, this is formally his task.
17:56 But actually, this is a decision made by Emmanuel Macron,
18:00 especially because Gabriel Attal owes everything to Emmanuel Macron.
18:05 I mean, clearly, he really came of age thanks to Emmanuel Macron.
18:12 He's probably the most popular minister who came from nowhere.
18:16 Other ministers are popular, but yes, like Bruno Le Maire, economy minister.
18:20 He comes from the Conservative Party.
18:23 Same thing for Gérald Darmanin, same thing for Sébastien Lecornu,
18:27 the defence minister.
18:30 Gabriel Attal, OK, he was involved in Socialist Party politics very young
18:35 and in a very junior position, but he really
18:41 is the only star that really came out of the first mandate of Emmanuel Macron.
18:48 And this is also why this appointment is different than the previous
18:54 prime ministers of Emmanuel Macron.
18:56 Édouard Philippe, Jean Castex, Elisabeth Borne were essentially unknown quantities.
19:01 I mean, they were people the French had never heard about, very little.
19:05 Elisabeth Borne was a minister for five years, but she was so discreet
19:09 that people barely knew her.
19:11 And we saw her smiling now coming out of the prime minister's office
19:18 which is something she hasn't really done much.
19:21 And Gabriel Attal knows how to smile, knows how to seduce, knows how to speak.
19:28 So Emmanuel Macron is hoping that obviously this is a symbol of youth,
19:32 but also that the personality, the character of the prime minister
19:38 will be something that will be recognised by the French much more
19:42 than was the case with Elisabeth Borne.
19:45 And so this is why he decided to pull the trigger and to appoint someone
19:50 who could eventually become his successor.
19:55 Because yes, already where people are thinking about 2027,
19:59 the next presidential election, Emmanuel Macron cannot run.
20:04 And Gabriel Attal, because of his popularity, is someone who's been
20:08 talked about even before his appointment.
20:10 But obviously this puts him in the hot seat.
20:13 It's not an easy job to be prime minister in France.
20:16 First of all, because it's not like in the UK or in Germany, the chancellor.
20:20 Most of the decisions are made in the Elysee Palace.
20:23 And this will certainly not change because he's been appointed
20:27 by the man he owes everything to.
20:29 Well, you talk about the popularity of Gabriel Attal for the moment.
20:33 I mean, we'll see what happens because he's really only just taken on that job.
20:36 But behind the scenes, it doesn't seem he's necessarily that popular
20:41 within the Macron movement.
20:43 There's been some rumblings that he was perhaps a little young for the job.
20:47 Do you think he will face a challenge exerting his authority
20:52 politically now in Parliament?
20:53 Not so much within his movement, because the movement of Emmanuel Macron
20:57 is basically Emmanuel Macron and that's it.
20:59 I mean, the political party that he promised and so on, he didn't deliver.
21:03 What could happen is that some senior ministers who come from other parties,
21:09 I mentioned to Bruno Le Maire, he was the economy minister for now seven years.
21:15 Gabriel Attal used to work for him.
21:17 He was budget minister under him.
21:20 Will Bruno Le Maire accept to serve under Gabriel Attal?
21:25 Same thing for Gérald Darmanin, the interior minister, who's also quite young,
21:28 but he's been there for many years.
21:31 And suddenly they see someone emerge who was a junior minister,
21:35 an unknown quantity, fairly young.
21:38 So, yes, he will have to assert his authority.
21:41 But as I just indicated, he can certainly count on Emmanuel Macron
21:46 to support him in this.
21:48 But the first answer will be how his government looks like.
21:52 You know, if he decides to push out some of those heavyweights,
21:56 replace them with fresh faces, it's not the most likely scenario.
22:00 But it could happen because he could decide, OK,
22:02 those people are going to be a problem for me.
22:04 They might be heavyweights, but I don't want troublemakers in my government.
22:08 So he could decide this with Emmanuel Macron,
22:11 that he wants really a new face to start,
22:13 because clearly Emmanuel Macron's second mandate
22:18 has not started the way he wished it started.
22:20 He only has a relative majority in parliament.
22:23 He's quite unpopular.
22:25 His ministers, except maybe for Gabriel Attal, are quite unpopular.
22:28 However, there's still something that's not going to change.
22:31 The National Assembly.
22:33 He only has a relative majority.
22:35 This was a major, major problem for Elisabeth Borne.
22:38 It's going to be the same major problem for Gabriel Attal.
22:42 Things will not change.
22:43 The MPs from the National Rally, from the left,
22:47 or from the Conservative Party are not going to join Gabriel Attal.
22:53 They're not going to help him because they know
22:56 that their enemy is Emmanuel Macron.
22:58 So this is going to be still a very, very difficult,
23:01 challenging task for Gabriel Attal, especially at this young age.
23:05 But for now, he's been able to prove that he's up for the challenges he's faced.