Louise Montangon: The young conservative challenging student blockades led by radical left in France

Louise Montangon, a 22-year-old French student, has become one of the new faces of young conservatives in France. Her television appearances, in which she questions the blockades of high schools and universities organized during the recent student protests by the radical left, have placed her at the center of the political and media debate.

According to a report by Le Parisien, Montangon is a master's student in philosophy at the University of Bordeaux-Montaigne, head of the UNI student union in Bordeaux, and ranked fifth on the National Rally (R.N.) list for the 2026 municipal elections in that city. She has used her television appearances to defend students who want to attend class and question the violent protests that are disrupting academic activities.

Televised confrontation with Gabriel Attal

One of her appearances that generated the most buzz on social media was her confrontation with Gabriel Attal, the former French prime minister, during an LCI program on Tuesday, Oct. 6. Montangon criticized the leader's record and accused him of abandoning the national education system.

"It's no use looking at me with a little smile—your record is disastrous!" she snapped at him during the debate. She then blamed him for what she considers a lack of authority in schools: "You are the face of permissiveness. … We have thousands of high school students who have no structure, no hierarchy, who respect nothing."

The student also defended her position in other television appearances. "We stand up for those who want to go to work, for those who still believe in the value of hard work, merit and excellence," she stated during a debate on LCI opposite Elwan, a young man who had gained notoriety after a video went viral showing him kissing the left-wing leader Jean-Luc Mélenchon.

On CNews, she referred to the blockade of the Paris Institute of Political Studies, known as Sciences Po. "It's never those who want to work who block universities," she argued.

From sympathizing with Mélenchon to leading the UNI in Bordeaux

Montangon's political career has also drawn attention for her ideological evolution. As the student herself told Le Figaro, during her youth she considered herself an admirer of Jean-Luc Mélenchon and held views opposed to the police and the military.

Her arrival at the University of Bordeaux-Montaigne reportedly marked a shift in her political orientation, especially after the blockades that, according to her account, prevented her from attending classes between March and September 2023. From then on, she became involved with UNI, a student union that identifies as right-wing, and took over as head of its Bordeaux chapter in September 2025.

Regarding her interest in politics, Montangon was unequivocal during an interview on RMC on Thursday, Oct. 8: "Well, yes, I love it."

Before joining R.N., the student reportedly was briefly active in the Union of the Right for the Republic (UDR), Éric Ciotti's party, according to information gathered by Le Parisien.

Now, Montangon advocates for a student right wing that she considers underrepresented and is questioning the influence of the radical left in educational institutions. Her message has resonated with some figures on the French right.