Marine Tondelier Proposes ‘National Children’s Assembly
French Green party leader Marine Tondelier proposed creating a "National Assembly for Children" and lowering the voting age to 16 as part of her 2027 presidential campaign platform.
The ecologist candidate hosted around twenty children under the age of 15 this Tuesday, both in person and via videoconference, to discuss the unusual initiative. According to Valeurs Actuelles, the meeting was exclusively reserved for minors and took place in the presence of their parents as Tondelier outlined her vision for placing childhood at the center of her political program.
Marine Tondelier told the young participants that she wants to establish this children’s assembly to amplify their voices in the political sphere. She emphasized that such a body would need to represent all children across the country, though the concrete structure and institutional role of this proposed assembly remain undefined at this early exploratory stage.
The Green candidate went further, expressing her desire to lower the voting age to 16 years old. She argued this would allow children to participate in the nation’s political life even earlier than current law permits. The nearly three-hour session saw young participants discuss various topics including nutrition and the role of children in public life.
Part of Broader Participatory Democracy Push
This initiative fits within a wider participatory democracy framework championed by the Green party, where youth involvement in political debate regularly surfaces, particularly regarding climate and education issues. The question of engaging young people has become a recurring theme in ecologist political discourse.
Tondelier is also promoting a “climate ticket” measure designed to involve citizens more directly in decisions related to ecological transition, with particular focus on younger generations. The proposal reflects the Green party’s strategy of linking environmental activism with expanding political participation to minors.
Details Remain Vague
As Valeurs Actuelles reports, the exact form this children’s assembly might take and what position it would occupy within France’s institutional landscape remains entirely unclear. The proposal is only in its initial phase, with no timeline announced for implementation or further development.
The initiative represents one of the more unconventional campaign proposals emerging from French political parties ahead of the 2027 presidential race, raising questions about the appropriate age for political participation and representation in democratic institutions.
With information from Valeurs Actuelles
