Voting in 2022 And the Political Engagement of Racially Marginalized And Middle- And Upper-Class French Citizens

The left-wing voting patterns and political engagement of racially marginalized citizens have been extensively documented in Western countries (Marcos-Marne, 2017; Martin, 2019), and to a lesser extent in France (Tiberj, 2015). Studies on the 2007 and 2012 French elections reveal a strong tendency among these voters to favor the left and their widespread rejection of Nicolas Sarkozy, criticized for his stigmatizing rhetoric (Hamidi, 2010; Druez, 2022). These voters are characterized by a sense of a “linked fate” (Dawson, 1994), that is, shared political interests stemming from their experiences of marginalization. However, the upheaval of the French political landscape since 2017 and the consolidation of this new political order in 2022 (Gougou, 2022) have reshuffled the deck, calling for an updated understanding of their political behavior. This study addresses this question by examining the political engagement and voting behavior of French citizens of Maghrebi, sub-Saharan African, and Turkish descent from middle- and upper-class backgrounds during the 2022 presidential elections. In light of this reconfiguration of the political landscape and the resulting partisan offerings, how do they mobilize their marginalized and class-based identities to account for their electoral choices? Moreover, what factors within their individual trajectories shape their values and political engagement? This analysis is based on highly in-depth and repeated individual interviews (ranging from 1 to 6 sessions) with 21 racially and religiously marginalized respondents from middle- and upper-class backgrounds, conducted between April 2022 and October 2024, with an average interview duration of 6.5 hours per person. This article highlights how the diversity of these profiles translates into a plurality of political engagement and voting behaviors, underscoring the combined significance of class fractions, processes of awareness of marginalization, and political competencies. Focusing on the first round of the 2022 presidential elections, it also demonstrates the impact of the political context on electoral choices. Three respondent profiles emerge from the analysis: the first group, comprising predominantly men and private-sector executives, is characterized by a lack of engagement, a distancing from experiences of marginalization, a lower salience of these issues in their political outlook, and a preference for the incumbent president. The second group—primarily women, most of whom work in the public sector and/or are overqualified for their positions—stands out for its heightened awareness of marginalization, leading to occasional mobilizations (e.g., participation in protests) and support for J.-L. Mélenchon. The final group exhibits a strong awareness of marginalization issues, regular activist engagement, and sophisticated political competencies (more so than the respondents in the other two groups). In addition to supporting J.-L. Mélenchon, this profile expresses a well-informed opposition to E. Macron.