Votes and emptiness

France is in the midst of two electoral rounds which will bring to the creation of the Assemblée nationale. On Sunday June 10, participation to votes at the first round has brought to record-breaking levels of abstention, nearly 43%, well below the presidential elections of April and May. The second round will take place on Sunday June 17. College by college the two candidates with the highest number of votes will challenge each other. MPs will remain in office for five years, the same period as the president. Among these two important electoral appointments for the life of the Country, on June 13 in Paris, in the seat of the French Bishops’ Conference, "Politique, bonne nouvelle", a summer training course in politics, promoted by approximately twelve associative Catholic bodies, due to be held in Aix-en-Provence from August 20 to 26, was presented to the press. The initiative proposes to youth aged 18-35 formative tools to develop the "gist of politics", "the yearning to be committed in the life of hometowns (associations, political parties, trade unions)", in the "respect of pluralism in democracy" along with the non easy task of "grounding their commitments on the foundations of faith and of the social doctrine of the Church". Maria Chiara Biagioni, for SIR Europe, addressed the theme with Msgr. Hippolyte Simon, Archbishop of Clermont, vice-president of the French Bishops’ Conference (CEF).Msgr. Simon, what are your first impressions after the first round of electoral results? "We cannot intervene while the electoral campaign is still under way. I’m not a journalist. I’m not a political observer. However, I was negatively impressed by abstentions recorded past Sunday for the first round of votes. I’m sorry that many people believe that voting isn’t a duty, although I understand that casting one’s vote can be difficult, a dilemma". Figures show a record abstention of 43%. "This means there have been 20% more abstentions compared to the last presidential elections. This is a shame since the elections designate people known at local level at the national Assembly. It thus entails an effort, a will. It entails a choice. In this period much importance has been given to media shows, marked by superficiality, which reveals that there a true formation in civil society is lacking". Is this the reason why the French Catholic Church is proposing a politics formation course? "The course has been ongoing for a long time. It is held every two years. The association ‘Politique, un bonne nouvelle’ is an initiative promoted by Catholic bodies that propose a formation session. They are addressed to those young people who intend to undertake a political reflection. Thus it is an initiative that is completely independent of the electoral context". Do you think that high abstention rates reveals citizens’ disappointment towards politics? "Yes. But I also wish to underline that if this delusion regards politics, it is necessary on the one side to say that the political realm can’t take on all of citizens’ expectations for a change in their lives. On the other it should also be admitted that politics is a responsibility and not a show". How can citizens be convinced to vote? "By saying that going to the polls is aimed at electing those who are tasked with taking important decisions for the future of our community. It is necessary to extend a glance beyond appearances. The political debate has focused instead on retirement age and on the number of school days per week, if 4 or 5. These are decisions that regard ordinary aspects of life. They are practical – albeit important – decisions. It’s hard to decide when we don’t have all the information. You get the impression that there is always something that escapes us. And this is not only the responsibility of the media, but also of associations and of the political realm. I wonder what political parties do to form their activists".Are you saying that politics need to fly higher? "It isn’t politics that has to fly high. We are the ones who need high spiritual horizons. We have to understand that our life is not only fulfilled on the political horizon. Politics is not asked to respond to all human needs. There are issues such as affectivity, spiritual life or relationships that are not dependent on politics".