With recent public concern arising over how the French police force handles high-school-led protests, presidential candidates are using this momentum to further their campaigns.
Demonstrations began last month when students from a high school in southeast Paris protested due to a lack of staffing. What began in Paris has now spread nationwide, with many high schools facing class strikes, blockades, and school shutdowns due to damages or attacks on teachers. Hundreds of high schoolers are protesting France's underfunded education system, drawing special attention to under-resourced schools in lower-income neighborhoods. Videos have surfaced with collapsed ceilings, rats running in hallways, leaks, and broken furniture as common features across these schools.
Broader concerns focus on France's education system losing stamina in comparison to other countries and failing in its mission to supply disadvantaged children with the ability to climb the financial and social ladder. Despite school days running from 8am to 6pm, reading and mathematics scores have plunged in relation to evaluations of students worldwide.
What has truly sparked the public's attention, however, is how the police force has been handling the increase in protests. So far, at least 6,773 minors have been taken into custody, with many of them reporting being hit, humiliated, or verbally abused while being arrested. A police officer was recently charged with battery after a high schooler lost the use of his eye after being shot with a rubber bullet. A 15-year-old student has lost a hand from a police stun grenade, and a police tear gas grenade shattered a 14-year-old’s jaw and many of his teeth. This use of explosive weaponry has reignited scrutiny that the French police have faced for decades and has given political candidates a new issue to take a stand on.
With the French presidential election taking place in April and May of next year and incumbent President Macron barred from running for a consecutive third term, candidates on both sides have used the demonstrations as a political tool. Far-right candidate, and nearly certain to be on the ballot, Marine Le Pen has asked for an increase in police powers to be used against rioters. On the other hand, far-left candidate Jean-Luc Mélenchon has formally condemned police actions and has taken a firm stance on the side of the high schoolers. In a rally last week, his party brought some of the high school protesters on stage. He then went on to propose lowering the voting age to 16 and making university admissions less selective. This stance has seemed to cause his party to continue to rise in the polls, with 47% of 18- to 34-year-olds now planning to vote for him in the first round. and he is projected to make it to the presidential ballot for the first time in his campaign.
Using current political climates to boost one's campaign is a common strategy seen across many political actors. An example was Senator Bernie Sander’s virtual rallies that were held amidst stricter social distancing rules in 2020. This rally included popular influencers, musicians, and politicians, and ended with Sanders discussing his plan to improve the country's medical facilities. By using the current political and social sphere to his advantage, Sanders drew over 4.4 million viewers across all his rallies.
While Mélenchon may hold the public's interest for now, the election is still months away. Whether his usage of these protests to increase his popularity among voters will hold when it is time for French citizens to hit the polls can only be determined with continued monitoring. Only time will tell.