Basil Howitt continues to keep us abreast of goings on in the Languedoc-Roussillon region - How Poor is Poor? How Rich is Rich?

How Poor is Poor? How Rich is Rich?

In spite of our sunshine for nearly 90% of the year, the economy in the Pyrénées-Orientales has long been as gloomy as the proverbial English weather. (To this day most of the locals in this part of the world still have an image of Britain as being swathed in mists and fog.) Regular readers may recall that Perpignan and the wider Département have some of the worst problems in France of poverty, unemployment and care of the aged.

In a recent poll conducted by the international marketing organisation Ifop for L’Indépendant in the run-up to the March municipal elections, the prime concern of those questioned in Perpignan was employment (39%) – followed by personal safety (32%) and cleanliness in the streets (29%). Alas, in spite of recent efforts, Perpignan still has a dog poo problem.

The current dynastic mayor, by the way, Jean-Paul Alduy (UMP, centre right), looks to be home and dry for re-election this March with a forecasted 52% of the votes in one sounding in late January - giving him a 28% lead over his nearest rival Jacqueline Amiel-Donat (PS/PC, Socialist-Communist alliance).

Living as I do in our tiny village in the back of beyond in Le Fenouillèdes, it is easy to lose touch with the so-called real world. Scrolling through The Independent-on-line (UK) the other day, I was stunned to learn that British households earning £90,000 a year (a tenth of the total) feel hard up. “These households,” the leader continues, “will only feel well-off - or so the researchers say - when they have paid off their mortgage, bought more than one home and are sending their children to private school. To the average household on £33,000 a year, not to speak of those on less, the response must be obvious: what on earth are these people doing with their money to feel the pinch at £90,000?” What on earth indeed! Crude comparisons can be meaningless, but I shudder to think what my dear neighbours here at the end of the world would think if they ever saw those figures.

By studying carefully the income tax data for our village on the internet I have made some sobering discoveries – though I hasten to add that the figures are approximate because the data discoverable come from various years within the last four rather than from just one year.

We have 65 numbered properties of which 46 are households subject to income tax in France – the rest being second homes, barns, public buildings, whatever. Of these 46, only 13 pay any tax, the rest (72%) having incomes below the lowest income tax threshold - the raw figure for which in 2006 was 5.615€. The “poverty threshold” in France is currently defined as a personal income of less than 788€ a month or 9.456€ a year (c.£7,000). So that means 72% of our households are officially living in poverty. This includes those on benefit (RMI) and on minimum state pensions of 433€ per month.

A village indeed of modest means! And yet so generous. We have lived here long enough now to have been showered by our neighbours with so many gifts costing little except their labour and their kindness – far more precious than money. A favourite phrase of one of our frugal neighbours as she harvests her garden produce is “ça ne touche pas la poche”, or “that doesn’t burn a hole in your pocket”.

Bounty in Kind

In the last several months our gifts have included a lovely arbutus bush (no watering needed in our sweltering summers); a huge jar of home-produced honey; a plateful of millefeuilles (made by a neighbour’s son-in-law); a week’s supply of leftovers from our summer fête “because we noticed you have visitors”; abundant supplies of tomatoes and salads including wild leaves of pissenlit, rather bitter but ideal with main meat dishes; plants and cuttings; jams made from water melons … After 17 years of living here we feel blessedly integrated. On January 2nd almost every one in the bread queue congratulated me on my Saint’s Day (St Basile). It was news to me!

Hopeful signs?

One piece of good news for the P.-O. is that unemployment has come down except among the under-25s. In June last year the figure was 10.7% (down 4.7%) and there is every sign that the dip is not temporary. Interestingly the biggest drop was among the over-50s at 6.8%. During the last 12 months 1,832 people found jobs, mostly in the public building and works sector. And the P.-O. has shown the most improved growth rate in employment of all the five Départements in the Languedoc-Roussillon.

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References:
http://www2.impots.gouv.fr
http://www.cabinet-baubet.com/loifinance2003.html
http://www.athenis-conseil.com/patrim-fisc.htm
http://www.insee.fr/fr/home/home_page.asp
http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion

© 2008 Basil Howitt