05 Mar

Something in it for everyone...almost...

Publié par Dr. Raphaela Kitson-Pantano - Catégories : #French Politics

Last night I attended a local political meeting in a French town. The outgoing mayor who is standing for reelection presented his achievements and his plan for the next mandate. There was something in his presentation for everyone: the poor, the wealthy, the families and the elderly, the disabled and the youth, men, women... it was all so politically correct. I sat wondering what the opposing party could possibly criticize and was almost convinced that he was Mr. Perfect Mayor... almost. When question time came, I asked him what the percentage of single people or couples without children was in the town. You see, in France, council tax is the highest for single people and the more children you have the less tax you pay. I would have therefore thought that the high-tax-paying voters would be a priority of the constituency. I then asked him what was planned for the working generation of young people who don't have a "family" in the conventional sense.

Not only did he not answer the question but clearly he didn't care.

I sat wondering what was the reason for this. Is the precentage of single and non parental couples so low that it is irrelevant? Was it that he doesn't have a clue what to do with people who aren't into nappies and stuff? Was it that families should de facto be with children? That got me wondering about the standards of society. It seems that once childhood and adolescence is over, you have a slim period of your life during which you are considered part of the youth... generally linked with student life clearly, and then you are electorally speaking only considered once a family. Luckily, once the kids are grown and gone, you become an elderly person!

I find it interesting therefore that once your "student life" is over, your vote is only valued when you are a mother or a father irrespective of the amount of council tax you pay. His entire discourse was actually around all the facilities put in place for children of all ages. I find it a shame therefore that the citizen within us, whether a parent or not, is underestimated and reduced to his/her parental function. No wonder, political parties and organisations are struggling to get over 30 year olds involved in politics...