The aim of the paper is to analyse the dominant trends of demographic evolution in South and East Mediterranean (SEM) countries since the 1960s and 1970s, as well as the evolution of demographic policies and popular debates surrounding the shift. It seeks to highlight from these two sources the deep socio-demographic rifts dividing youth and societies in the SEM countries today, in the mid-2010s. Additionally, it attempts to pinpoint how reforms (or attempts at reform) of family law actually reflect the goals and stakes of “high politics,” regarding the role of youth as agents in the reproduction of socio-political structures.