Overview

• Thirty-three French mayors, including Anne Hidalgo and Johanna Rolland, have endorsed a proposal to lower the municipal voting age to 16 for the 2026 elections.
• The initiative, spearheaded by Unicef France, was introduced via a tribune published in Ouest-France on April 17, 2025.
• Proponents argue young people’s engagement in climate activism demonstrates their readiness for political participation.
• The proposal builds on historical suffrage expansions, such as granting women the vote in 1945 and lowering the voting age to 18 in 1974.
• Despite gaining public attention, the proposal remains under debate and has not yet been adopted into French law.