The dissolution of the National Assembly cast doubt on the mission of the government, which should lead to reforms of single families. A few days before the legislative elections, interested women are waiting, working… and worrying.
Officially, the work continues. The government’s mission on single-parent families, launched in March 2024 and entrusted to now-former MP Fanta Berete and her Senate counterpart Javier Iacoveli (still in place), continues under the auspices of Sarah El Hayri, minister delegate for children. , Youth and Family; he himself is a candidate for Loire-Atlantique MP for re-election. The meeting of the advisory committee created to refine the proposals was barely postponed until after the second round of legislative elections on July 8. “Given the importance of the topic, the mission should continue,” confirmed the ministry. He will make his proposals during the summer.”
It remains to be seen whether they will be implemented. Nothing is less certain after the dissolution and the announcement of legislative elections, which calls into question the future government and its priorities. And at the same time, single mothers are plunged into uncertainty. “We thought we could finally take concrete measures,” sighs Single Mothers’ Collective spokesperson Oreli Zhigot. The shock is even stronger because in 2024 Parliament focused on the plight of single mothers like never before. “Finally, they care about it. I have a lot of confidence in them, especially since Fanta Berete is a single mother herself, and Gabriel Atal is concerned. his mother raised him alone after the divorce,” a member of the advisory committee excitedly whispered at an event organized in May in Matignon. In addition to the government mission, MPs Philippe Brun (Socialist Party), Sarah Legrand (La France Insoumise) and Aude Luquet (MoDem) presented legislative proposals aimed at supporting single families. Not to mention the Senate flash mission report filed in March.
Sinks into the fog
Consequently, a sort of consensus has emerged in these last few months. According to INSEE, not because of the dignity of the planned measures, many of which were discussed and sometimes seemed insufficient, but because of the urgency to help single parents, 82% of whom are women and 41% of whom live below the poverty line. . a momentum unpublished, which was broken up by liquidation. At the same time, unions and collectives are trying to continue their work and prepare for all possible events. “The subject affects all social classes. I think we could raise awareness about the National Rally if it came to power,” believes this member of the advisory committee, who, however, is very worried about the breakthrough of the far-right party. “We couldn’t hope for any social progress,” says Oreli Zhigo of the collective. We want to build the France of tomorrow, moving away from the outdated fiscal and institutional model to embrace new family models. An RN is not suited to that.” There is no mention of single mothers in the party program.
No more than that, though denser, the New People’s Front (NFP), an alliance of the left and the extreme left. “We presented them with our 22 priority measures, the next version of the program should take them into account,” assures Oreli Zhigo. Like others, he wants to believe that if he had won the legislative elections, the NFP would have taken up the issue. Macronists also intend to continue the work and ratify the measures before the beginning of the academic year, if they return to the National Assembly in force.
Two visions of family
Beyond the essential reforms, the entire vision of single families has been shaken by the great political upheavals of June. “We want single parenthood to be a way to start a family, transitional or not, like no other,” Fanta Bérété launched to an audience of single mothers and their children in Matignon in May. For him, like many activists, the victory of the far right allied with a part of the Republicans could mean a sudden retreat. “During our work, I was struck by the vision of traditional France and the traditional family, the idea that we should first invest in helping couples have French children. In fact, in fact, estimates Fanta Berete, who was reached by phone while handing out leaflets. Added to this are associations that judge too many divorces and separations to be sources of economic or educational hardship, and that advocate more family mediation to avoid separations. Which seems to be hard to hear for generations like mine, and even more so for young people.
This is the disturbing thing. that the momentum of recent months, broken, will make them come back to cement in people’s minds the idea that single mothers run their own families. And that they need less help or benefits such as reduced prices than respect for their fundamental rights in terms of access to school, work or housing. Imperative to equality, associations continue to insist. “Single parenthood is an economic as well as a social bomb, because poverty is passed on as an inheritance,” highlights Oreli Gigo. Like other activists, she herself is now focusing on the local level to persuade municipalities to act, such as Ris-Orangis municipality in Essonne, which has just created single-parent status pending the outcome of the vote. “It is important that the associations continue to be involved,” emphasizes Fanta Berete. This is how the events may proceed, regardless of the political field of July 8.
Source: Le Figaro
