At 19, Assia Rezagui, originally from Fréjus, does not intend to leave her vote to another.

Chestnut hair and almond-shaped brown eyes, the young second-year law student in Aix-en-Provence is passionate about politics from the start.

Already at the age of 15, she had her Socialist Party (PS) card.

"I have always been immersed in politics. My five brothers and sisters have always voted, I never asked myself whether I was going to do it, it was obvious."

It must be said that the young girl saw her big sister run for the 2017 legislative elections under the socialist banner, when she was still in college.

"I remember supporting his candidacy and pitching in to help him."

Since then, the teenager disappointed by the PS has not renewed her membership, but her appetite for politics has remained intact.  

“I form my opinion in a non-partisan way”

Passionate about current affairs in general, and the presidential election in particular, in October 2021 she joined the Cerfia association, which aims to relay reliable current information for young people.

Alongside about fifteen other volunteers mobilized on Twitter, she tracks down press articles that she deems interesting and brings them to the attention of high school and university students.

Another concrete way to bring the democratic debate to life.

"By reading and sharing content on the presidential election, I get to know each candidate, I form my opinion in a non-partisan way." 

After having long supported Benoît Hamon who retired from political life in September 2021, the young woman first thought of voting Yannick Jadot by default then Christiane Taubira, who arrived late in the campaign.

With the withdrawal of the left-wing candidate who failed to collect 500 sponsorships, the young girl now has her choice of Emmanuel Macron.

"With the war in Ukraine, I think he has risen to the occasion. He has been able to assume his role as a warlord, it is important in this period."

At the faculty, she further extends the debates she leads on social networks with her circle of relatives.

"We very often talk about the presidential election in my group of friends. We have very divergent opinions, we don't necessarily agree. Some will vote for Valérie Pécresse. Others Mélenchon. But there is no no friction between us. We respect each other's ideas. And if the tone rises, we come out of the floodgates to play down the drama."  

"No right to complain" 

One thing, however, annoys the young Frejussienne: abstention.

"I also have a lot of friends who don't want to vote and consider all politicians to be the same, liars. To those, I try to tell them to vote, even white people."

Assia Rezagui is convinced: voting is a civic duty to which every Frenchman must submit.

"French people who don't do it don't have the right to criticize or complain, the young woman gets carried away, not forgetting that this right was once won with great struggle. "When I hear some girls around me say that they won't vote because they don't identify with any candidate, that annoys me!

Women fought for the right to vote, we can't forget that."  

There remains one regret all the same: the unpleasant feeling that things seem to be a foregone conclusion.

"Even if we have to be wary of the polls, I have the impression that the election is already folded, that there is not much suspense."

But the one who aspires, later, to become a journalist does not want to resign herself to pessimism.

Moreover, she has already planned to "go up to Paris" to party, the evening of the second round with the other Cerfia volunteers whom she has never seen in person.

And whatever the result of the ballot, she will have done her duty.  

The summary of the

France 24 week invites you to come back to the news that marked the week

I subscribe

Take international news everywhere with you!

Download the France 24 app

google-play-badge_FR