Gabriel Attal, 37, the former French prime minister now competing for the 2027 presidential election, has made the legalization of surrogacy a flagship campaign promise — framing it explicitly around his desire to have a child with his same-sex partner, former Foreign Minister Stéphane Séjourné.
Surrogacy remains illegal in France, despite numerous court loopholes. Attal had already raised the issue within his Macronist party, Renaissance, in August 2025, where it does not enjoy unanimous support. With his campaign launch, he returned to the issue with a more personal angle — speaking publicly about his “desire to have a child” and denouncing what he calls a “double standard” affecting male couples.
Government spokeswoman Maud Brégeon rejected the proposal in strong terms, stating she was “extremely unfavourable” and “in total disagreement” with surrogacy. “This runs counter to the feminism we must champion in 2026. Motherhood and parenthood are deeply personal matters, and I cannot understand how anyone could conceive of making women’s wombs available, whether for payment or not,” she said. Her position is consistent with President Macron’s, who has repeatedly called surrogacy a “red line.”
Attal is positioning himself as the left wing of the Macronist camp, competing against former prime minister Édouard Philippe, who represents the right wing of that same legacy. By leading with a divisive social issue, Attal is sending signals to progressive voters — though it remains uncertain whether this strategy can build the majority needed to win the presidency in a country where Macron himself remains deeply unpopular.
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