why the government hides “new indicators of wealth”.
Enlightened public action is based on a thorough knowledge of reality and a detailed understanding of national and global emergencies. Choosing what to watch is choosing where you want to go. This is the meaning of the Sas Act, passed in 2015, which presents Parliament with a new world view through new indicators of wealth and requires the government to evaluate reforms against these indicators. .
Thus, uncertainty in living conditions, life expectancy in good health, or carbon footprint have risen to the level of key variables of social action. However, since 2019, the government has not been able to fulfill its obligations. It no longer publishes the “New Indicators of Wealth” report and returns to indicators that again show its inadequacy, starting with GDP. Fortunately, INSEE continues to monitor these indicators without the government seizing it: the data is there, but not being used.
Continued after commercial
So what do we learn by observing these popular indicators that the government clearly does not understand the interests?
Insufficient balance sheet
Let’s take a look at the announcement of the new pension reform healthy life expectancy. Note that this indicates the average age at which French people begin to suffer from physical limitations in their movements or daily activities. This age increases to 65.9 for women and 64.4 for men in 2020, according to the latest data. Despite this, the government plans to push back the legal retirement age to 65. What kind of society will be promised to us? Of a French who worked until he could not retire dangerously. This is not the future we want for French women and men.
“Growth studies”: how growth became an academic field
Another key indicator that guides our policy is ours carbon footprint, that is, the sum of greenhouse gas emissions from our national production and imports. In 2021, the carbon footprint increases by 7.4% compared to 2020 marked by the Covid crisis. In the end, it decreased by only 2.3% in two years. This is far from the Paris agreement trajectory, as we will need to reduce this carbon footprint by more than 3% per year to reach our goal. If we look at the details, the finding is even more alarming. Most of the reduction in national emissions is based on the deindustrialization of France, i.e. the export of our emissions. The transport sector, in which the government still refuses to invest seriously, emits even 2% more than in 1990, despite improvements in the efficiency of many engines.
Another equally alarming indicator: 13% of our compatriots are in this situation material deprivation and this ratio has increased by 0.5 points since 2015. This ratio means not being able to cover some basic expenses like new clothes or shoes, or not being able to meet friends or family for a drink once a month for financial reasons. Since 2019, France’s interest rate has exceeded the EU average at 12.4%. This indicator indicates a decline in the social level, despite the fact that the French solidarity system has been a source of national pride since 1945.
Continued after commercial
Respect the law, publish the report
In short, the observations made with the new wealth indicators give us useful information about the government’s modesty in interpreting them. These reveal the inadequacy of his writings on many subjects, nevertheless, important to the life and future of the nation. Therefore, we ask the government to respect the law, resume the annual publication of the report on the new wealth indicators and evaluate the appropriateness of the reforms based on these indicators. This is the first elementary step toward reorienting the design and evaluation of public policies toward a more humane and meaningful one.
What we should seek as political leaders is to improve the well-being and quality of life of the French people. It’s time to find that compass, pull back our curtains and rethink our public policy.
First signatory: Eva Sass, The deputy and the author of the law of April 13, 2015 aims to take into account new indicators of wealth in the determination of state policy.Co-signers: Christine Arrighi, Lisa Belluco, Karim Ben Cheikh, Guy Benarroche, Daniel Breuiller, Sophie Bussière, Patrick Chaimovitch, Cyrielle Chatelain, Jérémie Iordanoff, Yannick Jadot, Hubert Julien-Laferrière, Juliens, Laferrinoes, Juliens, Juliens Peytavi, Jan- Claude Raux, Sandra Regol, Sandrine Russo, Sabrina Sebaihi, Aurelien Tache, Sophie Taille-Polian, Nicolas Thierry
