How social media influenced the elections

Last night, the much-anticipated verdict of the second round of the legislative elections was announced. The Nouveau Front Populaire emerged at the top of the list with 178 deputies, ahead of the presidential majority and the Rassemblement National. A rather unexpected ending given the results of the first round, where the Rassemblement National received 33.15% of the votes, ahead of the NFP. Previously unprecedented figures for the far right. So, what explains this unexpected shift and the victory of the left? Although the abstention rate was also high in the second round, it is no secret that the voice of the youth carries significant weight and could make a difference. And politicians have clearly understood this. Edits Wattpad's way imagining a potential love story between Gabriel Attal and Jordan Bardella to the tune of Vitaa or videos of Jordan Bardella (who, by the way, has 1.9 million followers on TikTok, making him the third most-followed political figure) eating candy before a TV show, the political figures of the moment have become the stars of social networks. By reacting to TikToks published about them and posting their own videos, politicians have found a new direct and effective communication channel in the internet. And they seem to have hit the mark. Manon Aubry, Marine Le Pen, Marine Tondelier, the For You Page of the French is flooded with videos of TV appearances or compilations of political debates where clashes are rampant. Some, like David Guiraud, who showcased his excellence in the art of the punchline to the French people, have gained immense popularity precisely because of these few seconds of videos that have gone viral on the internet. Political propaganda or simply a dissemination channel? Opinions differ.

«A clear course is needed, we're not going to redo the nupes now.» A simple phrase that did not escape the enthusiasts of montages and meme creations of all kinds. Indeed, the speech given by Raphaël Glucksmann has caused TikTok to explode in recent days, creating a new trend reproduced by more than one. The trend involves taking politicians' speeches and remixing them into country music. Users then film themselves, often wearing a cowboy hat, performing a country dance to the speech. The movement certainly did not stop at one speech and continued, also using Gabriel Attal's speech "you break it, you fix it; you dirty it, you clean it" and many others. It is safe to say that young French people did not lack humor and imagination during this particularly tense period. There is also a resurgence of anti-fascist songs on social networks that had been forgotten until now. «La jeunesse emmerde le front national» by the group Bérurier Noir, a song released in the 80s, is now used as a TikTok sound by many Gen Z members. The same goes for «Ma France à moi» by Diam’s, a Muslim artist who ended her career a few years ago to focus on religion, released in 2006, which has also made a big comeback on social networks.

Young content creators whose popularity is no longer in question have also chosen to use their platforms to make their voices heard. This is particularly the case for YouTuber Squeezie, who currently has 19 million subscribers on YouTube, making him the second most-followed web videographer, just behind Tibo In Shape. The young creator did not hesitate to give his opinion on the matter, at the risk of losing followers. Indeed, in a post titled «Open letter to all the young people who follow me», the young YouTuber encourages his subscribers to stand against the RN, explaining point by point and in detail why the rise of the far-right could be dangerous for France. His colleague and friend Léna Mahfouf, better known as Léna Situations, did the same, posting numerous stories urging her community to vote for the NFP. Some cried scandal, saying it was inconceivable for a public figure to use their fame to influence their followers' political views, while others applauded the move. Many artists and singers also shared their views before the election, such as Angèle, Clara Luciani, designer Jacquemus, and rapper Shay. All these people did not hesitate to share their joy at the announcement of last night's results, posting photos of themselves celebrating, tweets expressing their relief, or simply a French flag accompanied by a heart. This phenomenon speaks volumes about the era we are in and the importance of social networks. The web has shown us the weight it can carry and that the power of the internet should not be underestimated.