“A country is not strong when its cohesion is based on pressure from the weakest,” denounces the president of the Federation of Solidarity Actors

Since Monday, France Travail has replaced Pôle emploi. The government’s objective is to achieve the “full employment objective” but the president of the Federation of Solidarity Actors said he feared on Tuesday that this would be “an opportunity to hit the most vulnerable a little more” .

“A country is not strong when its cohesion is based on pressure to the detriment of the weakest”, denounces Tuesday January 2 on franceinfo Pascal Brice, president of the Federation of Solidarity Actors. If he recognizes that “It’s been 30 years since poverty has stopped falling in France”and therefore that “it’s an old failure”he denounces the “temptation” of the government, “since a few months […] to constantly put pressure on the most vulnerable”.

“We are in one of the countries in the world where protections are the most important”recalls Pascal Brice, where “about 14 years ago% of poor in France, and 22% if we didn’t have these redistributions”. However, he regrets that “these protections continue to erode”. He refers, for example, to “the exit from ‘whatever it takes'”which he considers “essential from the point of view of the debt level”but for all that, “should it focus on the most fragile?”

The president of the Federation of Solidarity Actors also takes as an example the immigration law, passed last December after a turbulent political episode, a rejection of the examination of the text in the National Assembly, a joint joint commission then a vote in Parliament. This text represents, according to him, a “rocker” in the country, and especially “a shock”. According to him, this law says “that the integration of these people, because of the color of their skin, their religion, is over”. This is why he announces that he will, in the name of his Federation, “ask the Prime Minister for clarification”.

Pascal Brice also plans to ask “what we are allowed to work on, what we leave to the associations freedom of action”. He refers to France Travail, which has replaced Pôle emploi since January 1. “The whole question is whether we are going to put in place […] a bureaucratic monster who will be there to hunt down RSA beneficiaries and the most vulnerable”while “what we need is tailor-made, as we do in associations”he assures.

This change in support platform for work is supposed to help the government achieve its objective of full employment. However, the president of the Federation of Solidarity Actors considers that this is not “fact” not a shield against poverty for the French. “It is true that it is better to work than not to work”, recognizes Pascal Brice, who nevertheless warns of a possible “deception”. He fears that this is “the opportunity to hit a little harder on the most fragile”and to quote “certain ministers who say ‘be careful, unemployment is falling less than expected and therefore we will have to reduce protections for the most vulnerable even further'”. In this case, “we will not accept”.

Generally speaking, Pascal Brice denounces a “pretty terrible shift” between the government and “what we are experiencing in associations, all over the country”. He refers in particular to the wishes of Emmanuel Macron, who said “I try to make France fairer”. It is “an observation that we do not share”replies the president of the Federation, “social workers, volunteers, can testify to this”they who accompany “people in food distributions, in difficulty accessing housing”.