Engaging French Youth in Politics: Parliament of Youth Event and Upcoming Political Comparison App

On April 2 and 3, 200 young French citizens between 16 and 24 years old gathered in Paris for the third edition of the Parliament of Youth. Held at the Conseil économique, social et environnemental (Cese), this event aimed to draw young people into political debate by presenting 34 citizen proposals developed over two months of collaborative work. Participants focused on pressing societal issues, with Mehdi Faradji, a 21-year-old delegate, emphasizing the challenges facing the youth welfare system, stating, "The ASE saved my life but it is also starting to wear out."

In parallel with direct youth engagement initiatives, political awareness tools are being developed to aid young voters. In Toulouse, a free and independent app named "charles" is scheduled to launch in autumn 2026. The app was inspired by the 2024 dissolution of the National Assembly and subsequent early legislative elections, which introduced many new political candidates unfamiliar to voters. "Charles" offers transparent, easily digestible information on these political figures, including their backgrounds, public statements, and stances on key issues such as economy, ecology, and security.

The co-founders of "charles" noted the difficulty many voters faced in evaluating candidates, which inspired the app's engaging format featuring political personality cards and a "political DNA" quiz. This tool aims to make political information accessible and to support voters over multiple upcoming elections between 2027 and 2029. Co-founder Laurent Marchal highlighted that the app will serve as a continuously updated companion to guide voters through the evolving political landscape.

Together, the Parliament of Youth event and the forthcoming "charles" app represent complementary efforts to revitalize youth participation and understanding in French politics. While the Parliament fosters direct political discourse and citizen-driven proposals, "charles" seeks to enhance informed voting by lowering barriers to political information access. Both initiatives underscore the importance of empowering young people as active participants in France’s democratic process.