At the headquarters of the Republicans around 8 p.m. Tuesday, a small crowd awaits the arrival of Michel Barnier. The former European commissioner is the fourth of the five candidates for the LR congress for the presidential election to pass his grand oral against the youth of the party. The room slowly fills to listen to the 70-year-old former minister. In the audience, the people present hardly exceed the 25 springs.
“As Mbappé says, “you don’t talk to me about age”, ironically, Samuel, 19 years old. He has experience, and the important thing is his program, especially for young people. I came because I have not yet made my choice ”, slips the young man, inserted since January. Like him, the members will have to decide at the beginning of December to designate the candidate of the right and the center. As their ranks have grown in recent months, the Young Republicans have become an object of covetousness in the congressional race.
The Young Republicans, a battalion of 13,000 members
“We went from 1,500 to more than 13,000 members in one year, which makes us the largest federation of the party *. The various candidates did not necessarily realize this at the start of the campaign. But they quickly understood that the youth vote would have an impact, ”smiles Guilhem Carayon, 22-year-old boss of the Young Republicans. In front of about fifty people, Michel Barnier therefore tries to put youth in his pocket.
“I was very touched by the welcome you gave me at Parc Floral at the end of September. You have rendered a great service to your political family, because these images were a trigger for the dynamism of this campaign, ”assures the ex-Mr. Brexit. “I’m going to need you, and not just to put up posters, but to promote the ideas for the next five-year term. There will be work and responsibilities for everyone, with ministers, parliamentarians… ”, he promises in a calm voice.
Each candidate has his own youth committee
In the home stretch, each camp tries to mobilize as much as possible, in particular by structuring their youth committee. Last Sunday, 535 young LR, from 75 different departments, signed a platform in the JDD to support Valérie Pécresse. “She did not wait for the ballot to take an interest in youth and make proposals on higher education, the fight against insecurity or ecology. It already has a regional report on these themes ”assures Valentin Vella, one of the signatories. “Young people will be important because they represent about 8% of the 150,000 members who can vote, and they are generally activists who are fully involved in the countryside,” he adds.
A finding shared by the supporters of Xavier Bertrand. “It is very important to have a structured young movement, to go out into the field and put up posters, participate in ideas, or make the candidate’s voice heard by towing or door-to-door”, abounds Théo Michel, 27 years, secretary general of the Young Republicans. “In addition, young people are hungry for proposals and a vision for France. Xavier Bertrand embodies this and remains in the best position to beat Emmanuel Macron ”.
On the youth side with Eric Ciotti, it is assured that the line of the deputy of the Alpes-Maritimes is more in line with the young militant base. “Safety is a priority theme and, on this, it is clearly he who stands out. Young people are always a little more radical, and I think Ciotti seduces them with his strong convictions, ”wants to believe Paul Gallard, 23 years old.
“Young people are sensitive to party loyalty”
Tuesday evening in Paris, as during each oral, Michel Barnier presents his project at length in the silence of a cathedral. Then the room asks him about industrial protectionism, immigration, ecology, or even Islamism. After two good hours, Julien **, 18, is seduced. “Barnier has experience of ministries and the European Commission. He wishes to revalorize the associative fabric and insists on the importance of sport, it is important for me. And above all, he never betrayed his political family… ”
For Guilhem Carayon, who will not take part in the nomination race, this criterion could make the difference, even if Valérie Pécresse and Xavier Bertrand have returned to the fold. “Today it is difficult to draw a balance of power between the candidates. But young people are sensitive to party loyalty. “
* Young Republicans include members aged 16 to 35. They are ahead of all the departmental federations.
** The first name changed.