Jordan Bardella apologized for the delay by saying:” I’m already getting warm. I took a sip of water at a sweltering political protest during his German election campaign.
” You’re the one making us hot”, screamed a child from the younger audience.
The European phone it” Bardella- mania”.
Wherever the beautiful 28- year- ancient legend of France’s hard- Best National Rally ( RN ) goes, he is mobbed, above all, by the young.
Such admiration turned into an electoral defeat on Sunday when 31.4 percent of French citizens voted for Marine Le Pen’s beautifully dressed, groomed, and spoken protégé, giving his celebration a projected 30 chairs in the European Parliament.
That is more than twice the seats won by Emmanuel Macron‘s Renaissance party, which scored a paltry 14.6 per cent ( 13 seats ), and finished only just ahead of the Socialists, on 13.8 per cent.
However, flocks of young voters were drawn to Mr. Bardella’s crowds. Germany’s hard- Right Alternative for Germany ( AfD ) also surged in the polls, propelled in part by voters under the age of 30.
One poll published on Sunday showed that 32 per share of 18- 34 year- adults voted for the RN in France, more than double the complete of the 2019 German elections. In Germany, the AfD saw an 11 per share leap in its voting share among 16- to- 24 yr- olds, claiming a total of 16 per share. It saw big jumps in 25- 44 year- olds, too.
In the most recent European election, young people overwhelmingly cast ballots for green candidates.
However, a generation that was raised during the Covid pandemic and is concerned about war in Europe, an uncertain job market, and a lack of affordable housing has lost interest.
Many young voters believe that mainstream political parties are not knowledgeable about their issues and, at worst, hardly speak their language.
That is a chance that the AfD and the RN have successfully taken advantage of. Tiktok, the video-sharing app dominated by Gen Z, was their weapon of choice.
All Mr Bardella’s official trips are accompanied by a team responsible for feeding his Instagram and TikTok accounts, which are followed by 1.5 million and 615, 000 subscribers, respectively.
According to analysts, he allegedly aped the behavior of a social network influencer as opposed to the political party’s leader.
” We’ve invested a lot in social networks. It’s a way of talking to young people. In this election, I’m trying to politicise young people”, Mr Bardella told France Inter last week.
His custom-fitting suits from the Dutch company Suit Supply, which is well known for its affordable prices, are just hugging enough to show off his form that he has developed during regular gym sessions. The politician with the clean-cut boy- next-door image is “obsessive” about his appearance and has been known to tantrum when a shirt collar is inappropriate.
On social media, there is a personality cult following Bardella. He’s everywhere and comes across as charming, charismatic, handsome, like a tele- reality star”, said Lola, 18, a Left- leaning Parisian who confessed that Mr Bardella was streets ahead in the social media space.
” Of course, his young, handsome side and his Tiktok make me laugh, but that’s not why I voted for him either”, said Sarah, 25, a native of Seine- Saint- Denis and of Moroccan origin.
” He says things in no uncertain terms. He talks about security and immigration”.
Young people are interested in his news articles about youth violence, inflation that is hurting their parents ‘ ability to buy things, rural public services that are declining, and the challenges that young farmers face.
These are often conveniently blamed on scapegoats, such as Brussels and immigrants. Nearly 5 million people watched a video he posted that decries France’s “enslavement” following the death of an Afghan teenager in Châteauroux in April. He simply eats sweets in another popular video.
Many observers were shocked that Maximilian Krah, the AFD’s lead candidate in the European elections, was able to deny a number of scandals in the mainstream media, including claims that not all SS members were” criminals” and the use of a Chinese spy.
But on TikTok, the stories barely caused a ripple.
Instead, Mr Krah could be seen adopting the style of Andrew Tate, the self- confessed misogynist and “masculinity” influencer, in his appeal to young voters.
” One in three young men in Germany has never had a girlfriend. Are you one of them”? Mr Krah asks.
” Do n’t watch porn, do n’t vote green, go outside into the fresh air. Be confident. And most importantly, do n’t think you need to be soft and nice. On the far right, there are real men. Real men are patriots. That’s the way to find a girlfriend”!
In a different post, Mr. Krah once more made a direct appeal to the youth about the Ukrainian War.
” The conflict in Ukraine is not your conflict. Zelensky is not your president”, he says. You are risking that Germany will be drawn into this conflict because of how much this costs you.
The AfD now has access to more young people on TikTok than any other party combined through videos like this. Olaf Scholz, the German chancellor, looked out of touch when he posted his first video on the platform this year, showing off his battered briefcase.
Philipp Jessen, founder of the Storymachine PR agency in Germany, told The Telegraph:” The dark side of power always understands new media first”.
” TikTok is the doorway for Right-wing radicals into our homes. The AfD communicate with our children in the same way that we do, telling them stories for hours each day as if they were close family members.
” It makes me angry that the]mainstream ]’ democratic’ parties are unable to understand how important this is. It’s not rocket science but they concentrate on traditional media, so they should n’t wonder why they’re missing out on the youth vote.”
Jean- Yves Camus, a political scientist, said the stereotype that most young people wanted to vote Green or Left or for” altruistic causes “was misguided and out- of- date.
” It sounds simplistic but there are young people in France who need order, who are losing a sense of verticality, who are looking for authority, “he said.
