As part of its public service mission, franceinfo intends to contribute to the debate of ideas and help citizens form an informed opinion on the issues that concern them. However, this electoral campaign, delayed by the health crisis and now crushed by the war in Ukraine, is struggling to bring out certain important subjects. Franceinfo therefore focuses on four themes, sometimes overshadowed by public debate, but which figure prominently among the concerns of the French: the cost of housing, the carbon footprint of transport, the taboo of mental health and the crisis of public hospital.
Without claiming to be exhaustive, after a necessarily subjective and imperfect selection, we have chosen to take up four key questions, as close as possible to the subjects that affect the French. According to opinion polls, their main concern in the run-up to the presidential election is purchasing power. While soaring fuel and energy prices are widely publicized, housing remains the main burden on household budgets. We have focused on this theme, which reveals strong inequalities between the French and makes certain elected officials and professionals fear a “crisis” which could mark the next five-year term.
Behind purchasing power, health appears in second place, according to a BVA survey published on 11 March. No mystery there. The Covid-19 pandemic has highlighted the flaws in the French healthcare system. It has also affected the psychological balance of millions of us and underlined the need to take care of minds as well as bodies. Hence these focus on the crisis of the public hospital and on the taboo of mental health.
Finally, the environment is also one of the main concerns of the French. However, the solutions to be brought to the climate emergency remain little debated, because they may be perceived as too technical or remote by the candidates. However, we are all concerned, at our level, in particular through our daily movements. Franceinfo therefore devotes one of its four focuses to the carbon footprint of transport, the main sector responsible for greenhouse gas emissions.
Until the first round of the presidential election, on April 10, franceinfo will publish reports, surveys and analyzes on each of these subjects. A thematic newsletter will also be sent every Friday to our readers. We will, of course, continue to cover all the subjects that will dominate the public debate. But we assume to emphasize the four focuses of franceinfo.