Voices from France: A Young Mayor's Perspective

Thomas Petit, 32-year-old mayor of a 15,000-inhabitant town, reflects on democratic challenges:

"I entered politics to change things, but I spend most of my time managing constraints—European directives, national regulations, budgetary limits, citizen expectations we can't meet. The system feels increasingly disconnected from real problems. My residents face job insecurity, service degradation, cultural anxieties, environmental fears. But my tools are limited to marginal adjustments.

The Yellow Vests showed this disconnect brutally. People who never protested before were on roundabouts because institutional channels failed them. They wanted dignity, consideration, control over their lives. Traditional politics offers procedures, consultations, reports—but not power to actually change their situation.

Yet I remain optimistic. Young people in my town are creating solidarity networks, ecological initiatives, cultural projects. They're not waiting for institutional solutions. The challenge is connecting this citizen energy with formal democracy. We need to reinvent representation for the 21st century—more humble, more connected, more responsive. Otherwise, the disconnect will only grow until something breaks."