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Marrakech – Hanane Mansouri, a 23-year-old student of Moroccan descent, has surprised many by winning a seat as a Member of Parliament (MP) for the 8th constituency of Isère in France’s early legislative elections.
Running as a candidate for the alliance between Les Républicains (LR) and the Rassemblement National (RN), she secured 54.1% of the vote against Cécile Michel of the left-wing coalition.
According to a portrait by France Info, Mansouri is one of the youngest MPs in this new legislature.
Her political engagement began in high school, where she felt frustrated by what she perceived as left-wing propaganda from her teachers, particularly in her economic and social sciences classes.
As a second-generation immigrant, she refused to accept that she would not succeed in life.
Despite still being a student pursuing a master’s degree in public administration, Mansouri intends to be a “field deputy” alongside her studies.
She has always worked while studying and believes this will not prevent her from bringing the issues of her constituency to the National Assembly.
During her undergraduate studies in law, Mansouri served as the president of the Young Republicans in Isère.
She followed Eric Ciotti’s call to be invested as a candidate in the legislative elections, a decision that was strongly criticized by some of her fellow Republicans.
Mansouri believes this alliance is necessary for the “union of the right” and positions herself against the “disorder of Emmanuel Macron” and the “chaos of the extreme left.”
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Mansouri reports having been the target of racist insults, but never within her own political camp. She finds it ironic when she is told that she is in a party of racists, as she has never been reduced to her background within her party, unlike her experiences with the left.
As an MP, Mansouri wants to prioritize purchasing power, as the majority of the communes in her constituency have a poverty rate above the national average.
She also aims to address issues of security and ensure that public services are up to standard, based on feedback from her constituents during the election campaign.
Born in Grenoble, Mansouri has been accused of being “parachuted into North Isère” during the campaign.
But she firmly denies this, explaining that she grew up in a village in northern Isère from first grade through high school and is very familiar with the 8th constituency she now represents.
