Most of the decisions that affect the world today are made by so-called “old age” politicians.
Russian leader Vladimir Putin, who brought Europe into a new war with the invasion of Ukraine, turned 70 years old.
On the other side of the Atlantic, in the United States, eyes are on November’s legislative election that will measure the strength of the other two seventies: Democratic President Joe Biden (79) and his main rival, former Republican President Donald Trump. (76).
And in Brazil, this Sunday (30), there is a second round of presidential elections between current president Jair Bolsonaro, 67, and former president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, 76.
But while it was customary for the country’s leaders to accumulate decades of life and political experience, much younger politicians have begun to emerge in recent years who have changed this tradition.
In 2021, Chile elected Gabriel Boric, the youngest president in the world. He was 35 at the time. Boric is one year younger than Finnish prime minister Sanna Marin, who was elected in 2019 at the age of 34.
One of the world’s most popular leaders is Jacinda Ardern, who was 37 when she was elected Prime Minister of New Zealand in 2017. And Emmanuel Macron was just two years older when he became the youngest president in French history that same year.
But when it comes to electing young representatives, the top country in this podium is Norway.
According to the latest data from the Inter-Parliamentary Union (UIP), an organization made up of 178 parliaments around the world, the Scandinavian country has the highest proportion of young politicians in the world.
The data shows that 13.6% of Norwegian MPs are under the age of 30, the highest percentage in the world in this age group, and about 45% are under 45. The total average of the parliament is 46 years.
In contrast, there is no one under the age of 30 in the British Parliament. Also, less than 2% are under the age of 45. The average age is 70.
There are no under 30s in the United States Senate either. Only 4% are under the age of 45, with an average age of 64.
representativeness
While in many countries the wisdom and experience gained with age are seen as essential factors for good political leadership, there are also those who believe that older leaders are not seen as representatives of the population they lead.
According to the NGO Our World in Data, only 10% of the world’s population is over 65 years old today, while the global average age is 30.
“A person’s experience informs their legislative priorities,” said co-founder Amanda Litman. run for somethingA group that supports progressive candidates under the age of 40 in the USA.
In an interview with the BBC, Litman said the lack of progress on youth issues such as gun violence and climate change is fueling “a cycle of cynicism” and disconnection.
Jonny Lang from UIP noted that it is critical that parliaments become more similar to the countries they represent. He said he believes young people are leading better policies.
Maren Grøthe became the youngest parliamentarian in Norwegian history when she was elected a member of the national assembly last year at just 20 years old.
Born months before the September 11, 2021 attacks on the United States, he is one of 23 representatives under the age of 30 who are part of the Norwegian parliament.
“I love it very much. It’s a job with big responsibilities and I feel those responsibilities every day,” Grøthe told BBC correspondent Amund Trellevik in Oslo.
Despite his young age, Grøthe had served two years as a local politician in his own municipality when he was elected to the national assembly.
I have a long to-do list today. For example, she recently started the week with a parliamentary committee trip to Germany and ended by returning home to watch a new football field open outside of Trondheim in central Norway, where she lives with her boyfriend.
She describes herself as “an ordinary young Norwegian girl” who likes to party with her friends and go hiking in the mountains.
But since he was elected to national office, he has had much less time for these activities.
Grøthe believes there are many advantages to having a large number of young politicians in Norway, with better representation of different cultures and eras.
“We young people have life experience but in a different way. We need to develop policies for everyone in the country,” he said.
What can he bring to politics that an older person can’t?
“Today I have completely different perspectives and knowledge about being young. More and more young people are dealing with mental health. I also recently finished my secondary education, which is very useful for the education committee of the national assembly,” he said.
obstacles
According to experts, many countries have structural problems that make it difficult for young people to access elective positions.
Some countries have age limits for certain positions. In Brazil, for example, it is only allowed to become a president, vice president or senator from the age of 35. You must be at least 30 years old for the governor or deputy mayor, and 21 or older for a federal, state, or territory lawmaker, mayor, or deputy mayor. And it allows the youngest politicians in Brazil to become a member of parliament from the age of 18.
In the United States, you must be at least 25 years old to be in the House of Representatives and at least 30 to be in the Senate.
According to Sam Cabral of BBC News in Washington, the US Congress values seniority, and older MPs are often placed first for leadership roles, key committee appointments and other forms of influence.
“Name recognition and visibility provides incumbents (who already hold these positions) an easier route to re-election,” he said.
Young candidates also face financial barriers when seeking these positions, as they have fewer resources, less access to wealth and less access to barriers like childcare costs or student debt if they have children, Cabral added.
Ragnhild Louise Muriaas, a professor of political science at the University of Bergen in Norway, said that in this sense, one of the main reasons why Norway has the youngest parliament in the world is its local election system.
Several people from the same party can be elected in the same region. “This means that a prominent older man could be a prime candidate, but unknown young women could be selected for the next places on the list and have them selected,” he says.
In countries like France, the United Kingdom and the United States, it gets everyone who gets the most votes, and the parties feel they “can’t afford” to lead lists of young and inexperienced candidates, he explained.
He added that the youth branches of political parties play a prominent role. These organizations are a powerful political force with views often opposing those of the party matrix.
In addition, Muriaas admits that there may be potential negative effects related to the young age of politicians, and says that he is investigating whether young people disappear from politics more quickly, and whether the lack of life and work experience before being elected is a factor in this. can be considered harmful.
(Report by Sam Cabral and Amund Trellevik of BBC News in Washington and Oslo)
source: Noticias
