Sans filtre, la chronique de Mémona Hintermann, grand reporter, ancienne membre du Conseil supérieur de l’audiovisuel.
Un marronnier ! L’expression peut paraître indécente pour parler de la pauvreté – sujet ramené d’année en année dans le ressac de septembre. En cette rentrée 2023, les feuillages du marronnier peinent à cacher une vraie bombe à retardement qu’il est grand temps de désamorcer.
The IPSOS survey for Secours populaire, published on Wednesday, sounds the alarm. The numbers show a significant portion of the middle class being drained by inflation – it’s not just the most vulnerable among us anymore, but a vast group of shocked employees who can no longer make ends meet – or even afford to eat properly. They openly admit it, and that’s something new.
Poverty has undergone a change in representation, it is no longer a taboo. More and more people identify themselves as poor. There is no longer shame in showing one’s face on TV while counting pennies, without the fear of being mocked by neighbors. Even the neighbors… In fact, just by observing the shopping carts in supermarkets – including those in small towns with rather enviable living standards – one can measure the consequences of inflation. And yet, this summer, trains were crowded, there were people on café terraces and in restaurants in tourist areas. Optical illusion? Not necessarily.
It is quite difficult to align the perceived reality here and there with the alarms about the national shockwave caused by price increases. The risk of seeing the « Restau du cœur » close down has struck a chord and unleashed discussions. Emmanuel Macron himself acknowledges that these difficulties are undeniable, and that this issue may burden his term until 2027. Nevertheless, we lack understanding keys!
Pourquoi est-ce que la France, l’un des pays les plus taxés et qui redistribue massivement, se trouve dans cette situation ? Pourquoi le nombre de personnes classées comme pauvres, près de 9 millions, ne diminue-t-il pas dans notre pays ? Est-ce à cause de l’absence de mobilité sociale ? Est-ce parce que nous ne sommes plus capables de vivre « à la dure » comme les générations précédentes ? Si ce n’était pas politiquement incorrect, on oserait rappeler une vérité.
Among those who have endured poverty for a long time – a biting poverty – and who have managed to overcome it, it is said that one escapes from this ordeal through effort, deprivation, and perseverance. This reality is unheard of today, considered guilt-inducing, disdainful, old-fashioned, but still a reality! To make people believe that France can lift millions of its citizens out of poverty by making others pay more and more is not a winning solution.
As long as solidarity is not organized in society based on the principle that everyone can and should contribute something to the community, sustainable solutions will not emerge. We will see if the social conference announced for mid-September revolves around proposals focused on innovative and courageous options – from both the government, employee unions, and employers.
La refondation sociale ne peut être une promesse sans lendemain comme trop d’idées vagues lancées pour occuper l’espace médiatique et disparaître comme des bulles de savon. Sinon, il y a toutes les chances que le marronnier pauvreté refleurisse après l’été prochain.
