Brussels, 15/05/2009 (Agence Europe) - Centred as it was on social inclusion, the 8th European meeting of persons experiencing poverty provided the opportunity for those representing this section of the population to set out their needs and expectations to help them out of their situation. These needs, the measures in response to them and proposals have to be picked up by politicians and public administrations. The concrete measures must be based on relations between the generations, solidarity between rich and poor, between those in good health and the ill, those in work and those who cannot work, measures, as Czech Minister for Social Affairs and Labour Martin Zarsky said opening the debate, “which must ensure the dignity of those in need”. This 8th meeting focused on three closely linked issues: financial inclusion, access to housing and basic services.
Czech parliamentary social policy, social services and family policy minister Marian Hosek straight away stated that access to financial services was a necessary condition for living in today's society. Poverty implies no access to bank accounts, and, so, to employment. The corollary of financial exclusion is indebtedness and over-indebtedness, a situation that is hard to break out of given the low income of those in debt, the urgent expenditure they have to face, the great number of debts taken and poor money management. Financial education can remedy long-term indebtedness, Hosek said, recommending what he called “financial and educational literacy”.
In her summary of the workshop with inter alia Jean-Marc Delizée, Belgian Secretary of State for the fight against poverty, Father Guy Gilbert, Jérôme Vignon, Director of Social Protection and Integration at the European Commission, Ludo Horemans, head of the European Anti-Poverty Network (EAPN), rapporteur Marie Giudicelli highlighted difficulties raised by the representatives of those living in poverty in the various countries of the EU during the discussion: (1) basic services, which do not always exist, access to energy the price of which continues to rise, the far too high cost of alternative energy, medical care which is too expensive or where there is corruption, access to crèches where the lack of childcare facilities prevents parents from working, “ghost” villages where old people live in extreme poverty, access to information, unhealthy housing, the cost of legal proceedings; (2) financial inclusion: low purchasing power, social allowances that are poor in some countries and insufficient in others, too low a minimum wage, difficulty in accessing credit, the link between financial inclusion and housing (linking rents to wages); (3) social housing that is of poor quality and is insufficient. The numbers of homeless people is rising and rents are becoming ever more expensive. Marleentje Meertens (Netherlands said “ease of access to society is the main element of our understanding and of solidarity in general”.
Speaking in his usual forthright manner, Father Guy Gilbert, who has been working with young delinquents for 43 years, said of social services, “In my work, social services are pains in the backside because they have no idea how we live. I admire the social services but often they are people sitting in front of their computer screens with no idea of people in need. They should come and see people!” Fiercely critical of “King Sarko” who “gives only €400,000 from a €1 million budget” to help young people in difficulty, Father Gilbert (who has to seek money elsewhere, “from my books, among other things”) pointed out that many associations “die when they have no money. … No one listens to the poor in the Kingdom of France!” Brigitte Weinandy (Luxembourg), a member of the EU social protection committee, responded to these comments. “That paints a very imperfect picture of social services. In Luxembourg and elsewhere, there are people we must respect, people who take their commitment to others very seriously”. Father Gilbert replied, “I admire people who can deal with piles of papers, but they don't ever come face to face with people! In France, there are lots of youth centres that are going to the wall, and these young people on the margins of society find themselves first in prison and then in psychiatric hospital! It is the poor who are worst affected by the recession,” he argued, stating, “I admire Luxembourg and ask it to bring the way it works to France!”
A German representative of those living in poverty criticised the European Union and the Commission, “Financial issues are always on their agenda, but no one ever speaks to people”. Father Guy Gilbert went on to say that, despite the superb plans in the different EU countries, there are more and more homeless. Everyone, he said, has the right to three meals a day, water and electricity. Furious, he burst out: “Those in power need a kick up the backside! More and more people are dying in the streets!” He went on to point out in passing that, before becoming president, Nicolas Sarkozy had said: “In two years' time, there will be no more homeless! But numbers have gone up!” He concluded by saying: “Everyone should have a bed to sleep in!”
Looking ahead to the Belgian EU Presidency during the second half of 2010, Jean-Marc Delizée said the presidency's priorities would be: minimum wage, active inclusion through employment, and access to social and public services for all citizens. “The year 2010 is essential. It is the end of the decade of the Lisbon Strategy and the beginning of the decade for subjects such as minimum income, children in poverty, poverty that is experienced from one generation to the next, housing and the homeless”, he said. “We are all concerned by the fight against poverty. It will take time. Everyone must rally together from municipal to EU level through the network of associations”, the Belgian secretary of state said. (G.B./transl.jl)