If there is one voice that we hear little, it is that of French people living abroad. For three years, the Banque Transatlantique Expatriation Observatory has been trying to shed more light on them to find out their position on a topical subject. In 2022, the year of the presidential election, this was all found. The study carried out in partnership with OpinionWay and UFE with 10,070 people, between January 5 and 16, via an online questionnaire, shows the interest of French expatriates for the election of 10 and 24 April. 84% of respondents intend to participate in the election. Young people are particularly involved: 88% of expatriates under 35 plan to vote in both rounds. In general, three-quarters of French people living abroad say they are interested – including 38% who are very interested – in the ballot.
“The French abroad are poorly known”
They will go to the voting booth but without too many expectations. 86% of those questioned believe that their situation is not sufficiently addressed in the campaign and that French people living abroad are forgotten in the candidates’ programmes. “They only represent 1.3% of the electorate,” recalls Vincent Joulia, member of the board of directors of Banque Transatlantique. If it seems logical that the place granted to them is lower than for other segments of the population, “decision-makers must appropriate this universe. The French abroad are poorly known. We have historically little interested in this population, which has especially grown in the last 20 years. And we are probably not enough aware, in France, of what it brings to the country, “he believes.
Vincent Joulia agrees that the scattering of expatriates does not help unite and make their voices heard. “They haven’t been represented politically for so long,” he also points out. Until 2012, French people residing outside France only had parliamentary representation in the Senate (12 seats). Since then, they have been able to elect deputies (11 seats). But this representation remains, in their eyes, insufficiently listened to (75%) or influential (78%). These reasons help to explain, if not additionally at least in part, the low expectations they have of this election. 76% of expatriates feel that the outcome of the election will not change much in their situation. And only two out of ten think that the vote of French people living abroad will be decisive for the presidential election.
Environment and social protection
After the environment, the key theme cited first by expatriates (58%), comes the concern for social protection (54%). They would like to see the subject discussed more by the candidates. Expatriates mentioned, in order of interest, pension rights, taxation or health coverage. “They are concerned about it because they live in countries where the health systems are less developed than in France, or more expensive”, notes Vincent Joulia.
Overall, the study notes that these French people, more or less distant from the national territory, are satisfied with their expatriation (for 90% of them). And the period of health crisis, which led to the closure of the borders for many months, strengthened their link with France. When they have had the opportunity to travel, 80% of the expatriates questioned have returned to France once; 44% of them more than twice. It is largely a question, geographical proximity obliges, of French residing in Europe.