Should France be governed by youth?

LTestosterone has covered politics with a wave of adrenaline. This is one of the lessons to be learned from the confrontation between Gabriel Attal (34 years old), Jordan Bardella (28 years old) and, until further notice, Manuel Bompard (38 years old). Their age is no longer an issue, and yet, it is not for nothing in the physiognomy of the legislative campaign nor in the incredible pace at which France is changing.

With his election in 2017, Emmanuel Macron had accelerated the writing of history, increased the tension, the energy, the tempo of a country that had become accustomed to the languor and nonchalance of the last presidents of the bipartisan system shared between the UMP and the PS. He probably did not anticipate being joined in his race by even younger individuals.

At the beginning of the 16th century^e century, the reign of youth

Conflicts between generations are one of the most violent secret wars of humanity. Quite simply because one always aspires to replace the other, preferably as quickly as possible. And old age defends itself with arguments that can be summed up in deliberately imprecise terms: experience, wisdom, habit. Yeah. So many pretexts to gain time and not be replaced by an invincible force, youth.

History is a reflection of the age of those who make it. At the beginning of the 16th century^e century, three boys of twenty years or so, the king of England, Henry VIII, of France, Francis I^isEmperor Charles V, all born between 1490 and 1500, set Europe in the era of youth by giving new vigor to the ideal of chivalry, waging war, tearing each other apart, reconciling, always on horseback, crossing the continent and the seas, from Madrid to Vienna via Paris and Calais, where the famous meeting of the Camp of the Cloth of Gold took place, so well described in this marvelous book by Guillaume Frantzwa published a few years ago, 1520 (Editions Perrin, 2020).

In short, these boys have rejuvenated their civilization in a hubbub of post-adolescents impatient to get on with life. The importance of age is also verified during the transition from one reign to another.

Louis XIV, who had splashed the 17th^e century of his genius, his grandeur, his audacity, his refinement, his victories, will have ended up tiring everyone, starting with France, during the last fifteen years of his interminable reign. The youth and vigor of Louis XV, after the interlude of the regency, will form a favorable contrast to the monarchy.

Why “youthfulness” doesn’t mean much

The cycle of power follows that of life, the “Beloved” will grow old, and will also disappoint. One must be lucky, like Henry IV, to die assassinated to avoid the unpopularity induced by old age. How sad it is to survive oneself. Napoleon Bonaparte will have, almost single-handedly, accelerated the pace of the 19th century^e. And it is no coincidence that Paul Morand entitled an essay Napoleon, a man in a hurrywhere he writes: “Bonaparte is an editor who writes a page of genius while the presses are turning.”

During this legislative campaign, the party leaders are still leaders, but on the sidelines. Which, in politics, is not anecdotal. Marine Le Pen, Jean-Luc Mélenchon, Emmanuel Macron (even if he is only 46 years old) are experiencing an injustice, that of having achieved, alone or almost, incomparable electoral performances, of being the creditors of ministers, deputies, collaborators, and of being ultimately poorly rewarded for it. It is to understand nothing of the meaning of life to complain about it. Is death a fair reward for having lived? Everything that lives must perish.

Youth is not a decree, that is why “youthfulness” does not mean much. Belonging to a generation is no guarantee of anything, except knowing it. Understanding its problems, its vocabulary, sharing its state of mind, its way of thinking, in short, so many details that form a whole that we call an individual and his vision of the world. Taking reality into account comes at the price of this understanding.

That being said, entrusting the government of France to a 28-year-old man with no experience (in this area) is not a given. This is all the more true since Jordan Bardella has not distinguished himself either by his involvement or by his work in the European Parliament. As for the National Rally in general, its performances at the head of the town halls won in the last municipal elections are not flamboyant, as evidenced by the state of the city of Perpignan.

It will be retorted that Emmanuel Macron was himself young when he became president, which is true, but we also forget that he was surrounded by Gérard Colomb, François Bayrou, Jean-Yves Le Drian, Richard Ferrand, about whom we can think what we want, but who had experience of the State. It was not a guarantee of anything, but it was reassuring. Leading the fifth world power is neither a matter of opportunity nor opportunism.

Is France doomed to elect extraordinarily young people whose skills leave something to be desired? This equation, potentially unfavorable to good government, implies the obsolescence of the oldest, and probably, alas, their failure. Even if doing badly does not oblige one to do worse.