At 23 years old, Romain Stopa has been involved with the PS (Socialist Party) and the MJS (Movement of Young Socialists) for five years. He has been the federal coordinator for young socialists in Alpes-Maritimes since September 2014. When he was a student in his first year of economic and social sciences (ES), he already had the ambition to fight against inequalities. Very quickly, he decided to “make a difference” by getting involved in political life. Portrait of a young socialist from Antibes.
It was within the educational environment, specifically in high school, that his interest in politics was born. Romain Stopa was taking economics classes that piqued his curiosity. From then on, he became interested in current events. “In addition to my classes, I started listening to different programs on TV and radio. At that time, I disagreed with Nicolas Sarkozy’s policies. I told myself that if I didn’t take action at my own level, I couldn’t criticize his policies,” he recounts. It was a way to give meaning to his positions, to bring them to life through action, and to make them legitimate through his commitment.
“If you disagree, you have to make things change”
His fight in politics is not a matter of chance. The young socialist has always wanted to fight against class divisions. It is an idea he intends to defend, armed with his motivation and willingness to act. “What matters most to me is fighting against inequalities. I got involved in early 2010, during the regional elections. For several months, I listened to what all the political parties in France were saying. I found myself aligned with the Socialist Party’s program,” he specifies.
Dynamic and organized, the young man finds time to fulfill his responsibilities while dedicating himself to his studies in management and human resources.
“The future is in the hands of our generation.”
We should not endure our future; we must shape it. It is up to us to act,” insists R. Stopa. For him, all French people must take part in their country’s politics. If we want to be able to change or improve certain things, it requires the interest of young French people in the political life of France.
“For that, you have to engage with people. It is important to meet citizens. After all, if we engage in politics, it’s for them,” he explains. In addition to this external exchange, debates are organized internally. The topics are varied. They concern both local and national issues. Among them, the TAFTA treaty*, very little covered by media, negotiated by the United States and the European Union. Presented as a simple trade treaty, it would have disastrous daily consequences on health, the quality of public services, and ecology. A European citizens’ initiative to stop the negotiations on this treaty was launched in September 2014. It needed to gather one million signatures to be examined by the European Commission. Thus, from September to November 2014, the MJS committed to gathering signatures, particularly from young people, a symbol of hope for the future.
