BRUSSELS, Jan 9 (Openly) – French President Emmanuel Macron has appointed Education Minister Gabriel Attal as his new prime minister, the first time an openly LGBTQ+ figure has held the role. The 34-year-old Attal, who recent polls have shown is one of the country’s most popular politicians, also becomes the youngest prime minister in French history. Europe leads the world in the number of openly gay political leaders in office, with three current heads of government in Ireland, Serbia and Andorra. In Latvia, President Edgars Rinkevics became the region’s first openly gay head of state in 2023. Here’s what you need to know about Europe’s current and former LGBTQ+ leaders: