“There is an urgent need for young people to run for the legislative elections because there are too few of them in the National Assembly, whereas it must be representative of the population”, affirms Victor Pailhac, candidate in the 9th constituency of the Yvelines for the New Popular Ecological and Social Union (Nupes). Maïalen Mallet, candidate of the Allons Enfants party for the 13th constituency of Paris, recalls that “the Assembly has only two deputies under 30, while this age group represents 35% of the population”.
Young people from Ile-de-France from all political stripes are invested by their party for the election on Sunday. “Of the 550 candidates invested by the Reconquête! party, we have 130 young people under 30. It is not the majority but it still represents a significant part, ”underlines for example Claire Murcia, candidate for the 6th district of Seine-et-Marne for the party of Eric Zemmour.
Legislative elections, more accessible to young people
Choosing the legislative elections for her first confrontation with the ballot “is not something trivial, continues the young woman. We often consider this election as a 3rd round: winning it can help counter the president’s policy. If the parliamentary majority, designated at the end of these elections, is not of the same political color as the presidential majority, a cohabitation is established. This effectively tends to limit the President’s field of action. “And then, adds Victor Pailhac, the legislative elections have a national scope and allow you to go to the end of what you wear. Municipalities, for example, offer more limited means of action. »
Above all, these elections constitute a more accessible entry point for young people, “unlike municipal elections where the question of local notability is very important”, indicates Laurent Lardeux, youth sociologist and specialist in his relationship to politics. “The nationalization of the stakes during these elections leads to great partisan rivalry, and the parties try to be present in all the constituencies, he explains. In places where they do not have a significant militant base, they tend to relax their conditions of access. This allows those who usually have fewer opportunities to run for office to do so. »
“Young people find it difficult to impose themselves”
“We want to show that we can be taken seriously, in the same way as other activists”, argues Maïalen Mallet, member of the Allons Enfants party founded by Pierre Cazeneuve, now 27 years old and LREM candidate in Hauts-de- Seine. This party only invests in candidates aged under 25, to break with the tendency of parties to relegate the commitment of young people to “youth movements”.
“Young people find it difficult to assert themselves. It is our role to let them pass and encourage them, ”explains Émilie Chazette-Guillet, Nupes candidate for the 8th constituency of Essonne against Nicolas Dupont-Aignan. The 42-year-old teacher is campaigning with Medhy Danet, her half-younger substitute. “We wondered if we wouldn’t do better to put it forward and give it space,” she explains. Unfortunately, we didn’t because we thought his young age might put voters off. »
Make age “a campaign argument”
“The question of age is often addressed by political opponents, to discredit a candidate, confirms the sociologist. But some turn the stigma around to make it a campaign argument. Aged 20, Victor Pailhac (Nupes) claims to be better able to defend youth as a youngster. “We are part of the generation of ecological bifurcation, of student precariousness: these are things that we understand better when we are directly confronted with them”, estimates the one who was one of the youngest candidates in the last municipal elections. .
“We too often tend to think that a young candidate will mobilize the youth, but we observe that this is not necessarily the case, nuance Laurent Lardeux. It is the capacities of a candidate to carry the aspirations of young people in electoral programs that interest them. “These would mobilize more when they meet on issues of purchasing power and climate. According to the sociologist, “arguments about age tend, on the contrary, to depoliticize youth because they present politics as a showcase and reduce substantive debates. »
Source: 20minutes
I, Ronald Payne, am a journalist and author who dedicated his life to telling the stories that need to be said. I have over 7 years of experience as a reporter and editor, covering everything from politics to business to crime.
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