The eradication of poverty and social exclusion: this is what the poor of France ask of the new president of the French Republic, Jacques Chirac. A campaign to this end was orchestrated by French Caritas in the run-up to the presidential elections. During the election campaign, Caritas enabled poor people to make their voice heard and personally express their deepest aspirations. As a result 827 work groups were organized throughout the national territory. Proposals to be presented to the new president were formulated by these groups. They were then put together and the end-result was a “White Paper” which was presented to President Chirac on 6 May, just after the elections. 43% ask that the impounding of the property of people living on the social minimum be prevented, while 33% press for the total prohibition of the cutting off of water, gas and electricity due to poverty. As regards immigration, 20% call for more rapid procedures to process asylum applications. The persons interviewed also believe that poverty has a world dimension and ask that France maintains its pledge to increase state aid to development to 0.7% of GDP. “It’s an honour for France writes Caritas to be close to and show concern for the weakest and most forgotten both in our country and at the international level”.
