HAShen France has experienced repeated major social crises in recent years, the recent appointment of Aurore Bergé as Minister of Solidarity confirms the arrival of a third minister in three years on the subject. While, according to projections by the National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies (INSEE)the number of people over 65 in France will be 16.5 million in 2030 and 19 million in 2040, the President of the Republic has no longer deigned to appoint a minister – or even a secretary of state – responsible for seniors since May 2022.
As President of the National Union of Communal and Intercommunal Centers for Social Action [Unccas]and even more as mayor of Alfortville (Val-de-Marne) – where my predecessor, Joseph Franceschi (1924-1988), was the first member of a French government in charge of the elderly under the Ve Republic – this lack of consideration for the future of our elders challenges us, and even alerts us to the magnitude of the demographic challenge that is before us.
While the first position of the new Minister of Solidarity aims to reduce parental leave, and the parliamentary group she previously chaired has purely and simply buried a bill on old age – welcome even if very modest – , concern is growing among many social action players about the government’s ability to anticipate and prepare a society for “ageing well”.
Of course, our autonomy residences [accueillant des personnes âgées autonomes mais qui ne peuvent ou ne veulent plus vivre chez elles] – including municipal social action centers [CCAS] manage 60% of the stock – and our accommodation establishments for dependent elderly people [Ehpad] play an important role in this regard. But our seniors – often active and independent – also want to live in cities that meet their expectations.
A partnership with our local communities
They should be guaranteed housing that is both resilient, that is to say capable of withstanding climate-related events, and connected. It is also necessary – and this is the role of “harmonious density” that I promote in our cities – to ensure their proximity to shops and entertainment venues, public services, an adapted, accessible and inclusive urban space, universal modes of mobility, infrastructure and specialized personnel to match of their needs.
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