Former French prime minister Gabriel Attal has appeared as himself in the teen drama series Askip in an episode focusing on school bullying.
The show, aired on November 6, provided Attal with a strategic platform to introduce his Faire Face (Resist) foundation, launched on the same day and aimed at combating the same issue.
In the episode, Attal was invited to a secondary school where he was scheduled to speak to teachers and students. In one scene, he engaged with Aslan, a teen reluctant to join the meeting, who voiced feelings of isolation and mockery by his peers.
Attal’s communications adviser Louis Jublin also played his own role in the show.
📽 Le Ministre de l'Éducation Nationale s'invite au Collège Truffaut !
— @GabrielAttal a joué son propre rôle dans un épisode spécial d'ASKIP consacré à la lutte contre le harcèlement scolaire.
🔗 Retrouvez l'épisode sur https://t.co/XOQKnXAmrb ↴https://t.co/MvjuwVSGAE pic.twitter.com/VxnWzgaGRS
— Gabriel Attal Actu (Compte Fan) (@GAttalActu) November 6, 2024
The episode, filmed before he was appointed prime minister, featured Attal as education minister visiting a school to engage with students and teachers on bullying — a staged appearance that aligned with his real-life political agenda.
During his brief time at the education ministry from July 2023 to January 2024, Attal had made the fight against school bullying the central focus of his work, revealing in the process that he himself had been a victim during his teenage years.
No longer a member of the French Government, Attal has remained politically active and ambitious.
His and Jublin’s appearance on Askip was only the latest of TV cameos by prominent Macron allies, underscoring how the administration has used pop culture as a medium for political influence.
In September, France’s First Lady Brigitte Macron made a cameo appearance in season four of Netflix’s Emily in Paris, a globally popular series.
The show follows the adventures of Emily, a US citizen adapting to French culture. It is regarded as an extended tourism commercial for France, bringing a glossed version of French fashion, language and style to millions worldwide.
The series has become an instrument of French “soft power,” promoting high-end French brands and ideals of Parisian chic.
Macron was openly displeased when producers decided to relocate Emily’s adventures to Rome for the upcoming season.
“We will fight hard. And we will ask them to remain in Paris! Emily in Paris in Rome doesn‘t make sense,” Macron stated in a recent interview with US magazine Variety.
“I think it’s good for the image of France. Emily in Paris is super positive in terms of attractiveness for the country. For my own business, it’s a very good initiative,” he added.
