The Senate celebrates its 150th anniversary this year. A century and a half of the existence of an institution aimed at being a guarantor of the stability of the republic and central in the political history of our country.
In 2023, I entered the upper house at the age of 29, becoming the youngest senator in the Fifth Republic. In one week, it was all gone: the blouse and backpack “not pretty enough”, the jumpsuit “we first saw it at the drink bar”, the sneakers “unacceptable for the Senate Presidential election”. If there were any doubts about my thirty year age gap with the average age of my peers, they were quickly dispelled.
The Senate remains an institution where representation – whether social, generational or gender – remains a battle in itself. With an average age of 59 and only 20% of female mayors and 36% of senators, the Upper House reflects the sociology of those who can still engage. Lack of time, compensation, pressure, fear of exposure: so many obstacles lead to unequal representation. Removing these obstacles means allowing democracy to strengthen at every regional level.
This reality is also reflected in the majority’s legislative and symbolic choices. As soon as I arrived at the Cultural Committee, the tone was set: first text, first intervention, and already there was a symbol – “ban on inclusive writing”. GO OUT
