It was a will of the president of the Departmental Council of Haute-Garonne, Georges Méric. The basic income for young people will not see the light of day. At least, not immediately as planned. The aid of up to 500 euros, depending on the parents’ income, is intended for young people aged 18-24. The under 30s represent almost half of the poorest French people and precariousness has increased sharply since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic. The National Assembly has always refused debates on this experimentation with a basic income, yet demanded by 18 departments in France, including Haute-Garonne for several years.
4000 applications
The experimentation of this aid was to be launched this month of March. Finally, the prefecture opposed it. It’s not really a surprise. The State does not authorize the department of Haute-Garonne to experiment with the basic income for young people. This allowance proposed by the socialist majority of the department was to help the most precarious young people aged 18-24, whether they work or not. Only civic engagement, for example half a day a week in an association, would have made it possible to receive this aid. 1000 young people from Haute-Garonne were to be drawn soon to test the device. There were nearly 4,000 applications. Finally for nothing?
No legal authorization to launch such a device
Although validated by the departmental council, the project was challenged by the Prefect of Haute-Garonne, Etienne Guyot, during the community’s legality check. No validation after this deliberation of the Departmental Council therefore. This is probably not surprising given the absence of law. The Departmental Council of Haute-Garonne does not have the legal authorization to embark on such an experiment. It’s not a question of money, but the department admits that there is no hope for this project as it is, legally. If it had been adopted, this aid would have cost 9 million euros per year to the local community.