Will older voters be enough to carry Macron to victory over Le Pen?

French citizens cast their vote during the presidential election at the Lycée Français in New York City on April 9, 2022. © Kena Betancur, AFP

While Anglophone countries have seen right-wing populists achieve strong electoral performances thanks to older voters, a different dynamic is playing out in France: President Emmanuel Macron goes into the April 24 second-round runoff against nationalist Marine Le Pen after relying on over 60s to outpoll her in the first round.

Macron can thank older voters for his place in the runoff: Le Pen got her best first-round scores in the 35-49 and 50-59 age brackets, according to pollsters Ipsos, while far-left candidate Jean-Luc Mélenchon prevailed among voters aged 18-24 and 25-34.