Youth, employment: this manifesto which wants to mobilize the French

Novelty of this 23^e editing ? The Meetings ended with the presentation of a manifesto. On stage, at the end of the REAIX, President Jean-Hervé Lorenzi did not hide his ambitions: 500,000 signatures in two months; and a text that becomes “the manifesto of the French”. This would make it possible to bring it up “to the highest authorities” to then engage in discussion and debate throughout the country. The declaration of intent of the Circle of economists, which usually closed the event, “did not really interest people from the outside”, concedes at Challenges Jean-Hervé Lorenzi, at the initiative of the project.

Is the goal realistic? This year, the Circle of economists confides in any case to have noticed a difference in the media coverage of the Meetings compared to previous editions. A craze that would support the idea that the manifesto is more impactful. At the start of the campaign, 1,500 signatures have been recorded.

A manifesto launched “to audacity”

The drafting of the manifesto started in mid-June after a reflection on the social situation in France. In total, the text includes five proposals (read the box below) regarding youth, employment and political engagement. And great expressions: “to make things happen”, to give back its place to civil society to “move our country forward”… Dvery broad objectives that raise a question – how to achieve it? – without really providing an answer. For the Circle of Economists, the idea would be first to make the population react, to invite them to participate and that “civil society take charge of its future”. The action plan should not arrive until later: “It’s in September that everything will be thought out”, we confide, the manifesto having been launched “boldly”.

Until then, the focus is on promoting the text to the general public. Except that thehe distribution campaign has not been defined either… “We have to go to stage 2, we are thinking about ways to reach as many people as possible”, we still explain.

Youth, employment, politics: many commitments

If the modalities of action are still far from being clear, the course to be taken is established. First observation made by Jean-Hervé Lorenzi, which is based on a 2019 Insee study: 1.5 million young people are “neither in employment, nor in study, nor in training” (NEETS) in France. The risks associated with this situation are multiple, such as an increase in long-term unemployment which, itself, has an impact on withdrawal from the labor market and job insecurity. More global consequence: social disparity, with perennial inequalities and an increase in crime. The first proposal of the manifesto therefore concerns the reintegration of these young people into the education system or the world of work to enable them to have job prospects.

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The training and employment of seniors, brought up to date with the pension reform, are also highlighted. According to the OECD, a little less than a third of French people aged 25 to 64 take work-related training every year. Only 15% of low-skilled adults participate in vocational training each year. They are 13% among seniors, while 1 in 6 people aged 55-64 do not have a job and do not benefit from a pension. The manifesto thus undertakes to increase the employment rate of seniors by 10% in 10 years and proposes to integrate compulsory training into employment contracts to allow career development for the least qualified employees.

Another observation: 95% of young people do not feel listened to in political decisions, according to a study by the Cercle des Economistes. Young people are getting involved, but far from the ballot box. In the 2022 presidential election, according to an Ipsos survey, 42% of 18-24 year olds did not vote in the first round. A proposal thus addresses a mandatory civic engagement of at least three months so that young people aged 18 to 25 can participate in environmental actions, solidarity actions or receive qualifying training.

To restore confidence in politics to young people, and that their commitment pays off, the manifesto also pleads for a transformation of the functioning of the State and public spending. Substitute an obligation of means for an obligation of result and therefore empower and evaluate the actors involved in the projects and control the budget for optimal efficiency. Recall that in 2022, public expenditure amounts to more than 1,500 billion euros and now represents 58.1% of GDP according to INSEE. France is at the highest level in the world. The frame is set. See you after September to move from “boldness” to action.

The 5 commitments of the manifesto

1- Reintegrate the 1.5 million NEETS into the education system or the labor market over the next 5 years
2- Include mandatory qualifying training in each employment contract
3- Increase the employment rate of seniors by 10% within 10 years while advancing one year the average age at which young people enter the labor market
4- Set up a citizen service of at least 3 months for young people between 18 and 25 years old
5- Transform the functioning of the State and public services within 5 years to review the efficiency of public spending