The wind that drives the youth vote in Italy is blowing decisively to the left, while in France and Germany it takes the opposite direction, moving to the right. The hopes and dreams of the new generations of our country seem to look to the left, where the ideals of progress, environmentalism, anti-fascism and inclusiveness are strongly felt. The same cannot be said for Germany and France where young minds look to the far right with impulses of conservatism and nationalism. In Italy, young voters have expressed a clear preference for left-wing forces. According to the data processed so far by YouTrendin the lead is the Democratic Party (Pd) which won 18% of the votes among the under 30s, followed closely by the 5 Star Movement (M5S) with 17% and by the Green and Left Alliance (Avs) with 16%.
The youth vote in Italy
The right, mainly represented by Fratelli d’Italia (FdI) and Forza Italia, stood at 14% and 9% respectively. Environmental issues, social justice and equality seem to have resonated deeply with this generation. Or at least for the Italian one. Thus the EU of 2024 begins to emerge – as far as the youngest are concerned – as a land of contrasts, with opposing directions and visions.
The youth vote in France
In France, the picture is different from ours, with young people showing a rightward inclination. 32% of girls and boys between 18 and 24 years old voted for the list led by the president of the National Rally (RN), Jordan Bardella, Marine Le Pen’s protégé, while this figure drops to 26% for voters over 65. A shift that could reflect a feeling of frustration and disillusionment among young French people, worried about security, immigration and national identity. However, not all young French people have turned towards the far right.
Manon Aubry’s list garnered 20% of the vote among 18-34 year olds, getting just 4% among those over 65, suggesting that a significant portion of young French people are looking for radical solutions but in different political directions. The vote for the Greens decreases with age: 8% among 18-34 years old, 6% among 35-49 years old, 4% among 50-64 year olds and only 3% among the oldest. As for Emmanuel Macron, who suffered a general defeat to the point of deciding to take a step back and dissolve Parliament, he continues to be more popular among pensioners, with Valérie Hayer – leader of the Renaissance Macronians – who obtained 25% of the votes of retired voters.
CDU and AfD lead in Germany
In Germany, the panorama is similar to that of France, with a significant inclination of young people towards the far right. In the youth vote (16-24 years), CDU and Afd are tied at 17%. But with an increase of 12 percentage points compared to 2019 for young far-right voters. This is what emerges from an exit poll table published by the first German public channel Ard. The Greens, on the other hand, lost 23 percentage points, falling to 11%, slightly overtaking the SPD which stood at 9% with a slight increase of 1 percentage point.
