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1. Main concepts

2. Institutions of representative democracy

Main concepts

Several definitions and concepts enable the political participation of young French people to be understood and characterised. It is important, on the one hand, to speak of the notion of “commitment”, and, on the other, of the notions of “intermittent participation” and “protest commitment”.

Commitment

By definition, commitment is “the action of binding oneself through a promise or an agreement”; that implies not only a commitment to others, but also to oneself (Petit Robert). The notion of commitment that lies at the heart of participation has a moral connotation that is still compelling today, including when we speak of political commitment. In French public policy, the concept of engagement encompasses civic, volunteer, and political commitment — for example, through activism, voting, or alternative modes of participation (INJEP (2024). Les jeunes et le vote).

Commitment is seen as a civic duty, which partly explains the calls to commitment addressed to young people by public authorities.

Voting participation is subject to higher abstention rates among young people than in other age groups, even though the majority of them "vote intermittently rather than systematically abstain" (INJEP (2024). État d'esprit et engagement des jeunes en 2024). According to the National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies (INSEE), in 2022, 23% of registered 18- to 24-year-olds and 25% of registered 25- to 29-year-olds did not vote in any round of the presidential and legislative elections held that year (INSEE, 2022).

The National Institute of Youth and Non popular Education (INJEP) highlights that 'new generations have multiple modes of participation', shared between digital participation (41% in 2024 - see below), participation in a demonstration (30% of 15-30 year olds in 2024), participation as an elected or designated representative in a body representing their peers such as a school or a condominium (36% of 18-24 year olds; 24% of 25-30 year olds in 2024), participation in public discussions/consultations (23% of 15-30 year olds in 2024), or membership in a political party or union (18% of 15-30 year olds in 2024). All these modes of participation were on the rise between 2023 and 2024 (respectively +3 percentage points, +2 points, +9 points, +5 points and +1 point) (INJEP, 2024).

Intermittent participation

Generally speaking, young people are more likely to abstain from voting than adults (INJEP, 2024). However, young people’s political (electoral) participation varies according to their age range as well as the challenges and the intensity of campaigns; abstention is not a practice that is specific to young people. Young people’s behaviour increasingly takes the form of “intermittent participation” characterised by a selective approach to voting. Some researchers even speak of a “civic moratorium” to describe the attitude of young French people to voting, an attitude that involves not wanting to take part in certain elections.

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Digital participation

Digital tools and social networks play an important role in the ways young people participate. In 2024, according to the National Institute of Youth and Non popular Education, 'the main form of participation in civic and political life over the last twelve months remains the signing of a petition or defending a cause online'. 41% of 15-30 year olds have expressed themselves through a petition in the last twelve months, including a predominance of young women (44% compared to 38%) (INJEP, 2024).

Julien Boyadjian (National Institute for Youth and Popular Education), explains the "over-representation of young people in forms of digital participation" by: 

1. A greater knowledge of digital use among young people
2. The adjustment and appropriation of the new generations with regard to these tools, which would be more theirs than those of their elders
3. The reduction in the "costs of participation" that digital technology allows compared to face-to-face events.

Sources : INJEP (2020). La participation politique en ligne des jeunes à travers le prisme des inégalités socioculturelles.

Institutions of representative democracy

Political regime

The political regime that is currently in force in the French State is the Fifth Republic, of which the functioning is organised and defined by the Constitution of 4 October 1958.

The Fifth Republic is a semi-presidential regime in which the President of the Republic is elected by direct universal suffrage for a five-year term. The regime is a hybrid one that combines features of the parliamentary regime and of the presidential regime. Executive power is dual in nature, and is personified by the President and the Prime Minister, who work in conjunction with the legislative power.

The Head of State appoints the Prime Minister, chairs the Council of Ministers, and promulgates laws; in addition, she / he can dissolve the National Assembly. In the event of a serious crisis, the Head of State can exercise exceptional powers (article 16 of the Constitution).

The Prime Minister is responsible to Parliament in accordance with article 20 of the Constitution, which means that a Prime Minister who no longer enjoys the confidence of Parliament is required to resign. The Prime Minister’s role is to direct government action and ensure that laws are properly applied (article 21 of the Constitution).

The political organisation of the French State is characterised by a certain amount of centralisation. However, over the last 30 years, it has undergone a process of decentralisation during which the State has gradually transferred its competences to local authorities: départements, regions, municipalities, and EPCI – Public Establishments for Intermunicipal Co-operation (Établissements Publics de Coopération Intercommunale), which have their own decision-making bodies.

Representative bodies

Under the Fifth Republic, the principal democratic and, especially, legislative body is the (bicameral) Parliament, which is made up of the National Assembly and the Senate. The two assemblies enjoy equal rights when it comes to legislative procedures. However, as a last resort, if there is a conflict with the Senate, the Prime Minister can ask the National Assembly to determine the matter.

• The National Assembly is made up of 577 members elected by direct universal suffrage for a five-year term.
• The Senate is made up of 348 senators elected by direct universal suffrage for six-year terms by a college of about 150 000 electors (of whom 95% are delegates from municipal councils). Half the Senate stands for election every three years, unlike the National Assembly, which is elected in full.

Other democratic (non-legislative) assemblies:

• The Departement Council is the deliberative assembly of the département. Each of the 101 départements of France has a Département Council, which deliberates to regulate the affairs of the département in the areas of authority defined in law.
• The Regional Council is the deliberative assembly of the region. Each of the 13 regions has a Regional Council, which deliberates to regulate the affairs of the region, of which the competences are defined in law.
• .The Economic, Environmental and Social Council (Conseil économique, social et environnemental - CESE) is the third constitutional assembly of the Republic. In 2021, the CESE underwent a major reform that marks a historic turning point for the institution. It increases the role of civil society in the development of public policies, and makes the CESE the crossroads of public consultations and a benchmark institution for citizen participation.

The Act of 15 January 2021 radically reforms the EESC's mission and operation, which have remained unchanged since the constitutional revision of July 2008 (Article 71 of the Constitution). This law aims to substantially incorporate new themes into its work. The reform came into force in January 2021.

It provides for: 

• a tighter composition of the CESE, from 233 members to 175 members as of its next renewal;
• the creation of a code of ethics applicable to its members but also to external persons participating in its work;
• the possibility of wider consultation of the CESE in the exercise of its powers;
• simplification of referrals to the CESE by means of petitions;
• the possibility of drawing lots to determine the participants in the Council's work.

In addition, a new measure encourages the participation of young people: being able to refer matters to the Council using a petition is now open to young people.

The conditions to be met in order to refer an economic, social or environmental issue to the Council by a petition have been considerably reduced:

• Petitions submitted by electronic means will now be admissible; 
• The minimum age for supporting or initiating a petition is lowered to 16;
• The threshold for triggering a referral to the Council is lowered to 150,000 signatures. 

This modernisation of referral to the CESE by petition is a decisive step for citizens who, from the age of 16, will be able to make their voices heard. This development is fully in line with the CESE's mission of actively listening to society's expectations.

Forms of elections

Regardless of elections, electoral participation (voting) is non-compulsory, free, secret, strictly personal and by universal suffrage.

Presidential election

Elections are held every five years by direct universal suffrage, using a single-member, majority-vote system over two rounds.

Legislative elections

Elections are held every five years by direct universal suffrage, using a single-member, majority-vote system over two rounds.

Senatorial elections

Elections are held every three years by direct universal suffrage, using a majority-vote system over two rounds or a list-vote system depending on the number of senators to be elected from each département. In each département, the electors are the members of the National Assembly, regional councillors, département councillors, and delegates from municipal councils.

European elections

Since 1979, Members of the European Parliament are elected by direct universal suffrage for a renewable five-year term. The voting system is proportional, and seats are allocated among the lists that have obtained at least 5% of the votes cast. After the election, the elected representatives can join or create a political group at European level.

In France, the Law of 25 June 2018 re-established a single electoral constituency (i.e. territorial division defining the area in which an election takes place), replacing the division into eight regional constituencies introduced by the 2003 law.

Regional elections

Elections are held every six years for regional councillors, who, in turn, elect a president for a six-year term. Elections are on the basis of direct universal suffrage using a list-vote system over two rounds.

Département elections

Elections are held every six years to appoint members of the département council, who will, in turn, elect a president of the département council by a two-member majority-vote system over two rounds for a six-year term.

Municipal elections

Elections are held every six years by direct universal suffrage to appoint members of the municipal council, who will, in turn, elect the mayor (and her / his deputies).