DIRECTDEMOCRACYS

World Political Organization

POLITICAL, ECONOMIC, FINANCIAL AND SOCIAL PROGRAM FOR FRANCE

Critical analysis of the actual situation • Concrete and detailed solutions • Anticipated consequences

Based on logic, common sense, truth, consistency, and mutual respect

2025 — Inaugural Edition

directdemocracys.org | public.directdemocracys.org

PREFACE: WHY THIS PROGRAM

This document is not a traditional election program. It is not a list of empty promises designed to seduce voters in the heat of a campaign. It is a rigorous, honest, and unflinching analysis of the real situation in France—followed by concrete, logical, and coherent solutions, developed according to the founding principles of DirectDemocracyS (DDS).

DDS is a global political organization based on a simple yet radical conviction: citizens are capable of governing themselves, provided they are given the necessary tools, transparency, and structure. We don't promise the moon. We offer mechanisms that work, existing examples, and verifiable calculations.

France is a great nation with enormous resources, exceptional human capital, and a history of global leadership. Yet it is going through a deep, multidimensional crisis, the causes of which are known but systematically concealed by the political and economic elites who benefit from the status quo.

We tell the truth. We offer solutions. We respect citizens enough to speak to them without condescension or demagoguery.

PART I — DIAGNOSIS: FRANCE IN CRISIS

Before proposing solutions, we must have the courage to face reality. The diagnosis we present here is based on official data — INSEE, Banque de France, Cour des comptes, Eurostat, OECD — and not on political narratives.

1.1 The democratic crisis

France is a republic that suffers from a profound democratic deficit. The system of the Fifth Republic, designed in 1958 for a France emerging from the Algerian War, concentrates excessive power in the hands of the President of the Republic, to the detriment of popular and parliamentary expression.

OFFICIAL DATA — Crisis of representative democracy Abstention in the first round of the 2022 legislative elections: 52.5% — The highest rate since 1958. Trust in political parties: 11% (Eurobarometer 2024). Trust in Parliament: 26%. Feeling that voting changes nothing: 63% of French people (IFOP, 2024). Filing of complaints for corruption of public officials: +47% between 2019 and 2024 (National Financial Prosecutor's Office).

These figures are not an anomaly. They are the logical consequence of a system where:

• The President governs by decree, bypassing parliamentary debate (47 decrees under Macron in 2020 alone);
• The accumulation of mandates, although officially limited, persists through indirect mechanisms;
• Political parties are financed by lobbies and non-transparent private interests;
• Citizens' initiative referendums (RIC) are systematically rejected despite massive popular demand.

DDS Critique: The oligarchy disguises itself as a democracy

France is not a full democracy. It is a representative oligarchy, where citizens' choice is reduced to choosing between predetermined elites, trained in the same prestigious schools (ENA, now INSP, Polytechnique, Sciences Po), sharing the same networks, and serving the same interests. The political class and the upper echelons of the civil service are endogamous. This is not an opinion; it is a documented sociological reality.

1.2 The economic crisis

France is the world's 7th largest economy, but its trajectory is worrying. Deindustrialization, the explosion of public debt, and the dependence on social transfers to maintain social cohesion are symptoms of a model that has run its course.

Indicator	2024 Value	Tendency	EU Comparison
Public debt / GDP	111.6%	Upward	Average EU: 82%
Public deficit	5.5% of GDP	Upward	Maastricht limit: 3%
Unemployment	7.3%	Stable	EU average: 6.1%
Industrialization rate	9.8% of GDP	Down	Germany: 20.5%
Tax pressure	45.4% of GDP	Upward	The highest in the OECD
GDP Growth	0.9%	Down	Average EU: 1.4%
Relative poverty	14.4%	Stable/increasing	Average EU: 16.5%

France suffers from a fundamental contradiction: it levies the highest taxes in the developed world while offering increasingly degraded public services. Public money is misused, misdirected, and poorly controlled.

• 60 billion euros: annual estimate of tax fraud by large companies and wealthy individuals (National Union of Public Finance Solidarity, 2024)
• 4 billion: annual losses due to inefficient tax loopholes (French Court of Auditors, 2023)
• 18 billion: estimated cost of administrative duplication between the State, regions, departments and municipalities
• 3 billion: unused or wasted military spending identified by the Court of Auditors (2023)

DDS Review: The Myth of the 'French Social Model'

We are constantly told that France has the best social system in the world. This is partially true, but fundamentally misleading. The French social system effectively protects those inside—civil servants, those with permanent contracts, and retirees—while neglecting those outside: young people, those in precarious employment, the self-employed, and immigrants. It is an unequal system that presents itself as universalist. This is a convenient lie that DDS rejects.

1.3 The social crisis

The French social divide is deep, multidimensional, and, worryingly, increasingly inherited. Social mobility, once a source of republican pride, is now among the lowest in the OECD.

Social Indicator	France	OECD position	Reference
Intergenerational social mobility	Weak	27th/38	OECD 2023
Income inequality (Gini coefficient)	0.304	Moderate	Denmark: 0.29
Educational disparity between urban and rural areas	+2.5 years	Important	PISA 2022
Housing in substandard conditions	600,000 homes	Persistent	Minimum Housing 2024
Access to healthcare in medical deserts	6.3M citizens	Upward	Senate 2024
Domestic violence reported	159,000/year	Underrated	Ministry of the Interior 2024

The problem of the suburbs: reality and hypocrisy

The French suburbs are the most visible symptom of the Republic's failure to keep its promises. Liberty, Equality, Fraternity are three words that ring hollow in the housing projects of Seine-Saint-Denis, Marseille-Nord, or Roubaix.

• Unemployment rate in certain ZUS (Sensitive Urban Zones): up to 35-40%
• Life expectancy 3 to 5 years lower compared to affluent neighborhoods
• School enrollment rates up to 3x higher in REP+ (Priority Education Network)
• Police presence perceived as hostile: 74% of young people in priority urban areas (CNCDH survey 2023)

1.4 The ecological crisis

France has set itself ambitious climate goals. It is not meeting them. Worse: the policies implemented often protect polluters at the expense of ordinary citizens.

• CO2 emissions: -28% compared to 1990 (good, but insufficient compared to the target of -55%)
• Land artificialization: 20,000 hectares/year destroyed despite the ZAN law
• Air quality: 40,000 premature deaths/year attributable to pollution (ANSES 2023)
• Pesticides: 70% of surface waters contain residues exceeding health thresholds (Water Agency 2024)
• Biodiversity: 14% of species are threatened with extinction in metropolitan France (IUCN 2023)

THE CENTRAL CONTRADICTION France taxes ordinary citizens (carbon tax on fuel) to finance the ecological transition, while simultaneously granting €8 billion in annual subsidies to fossil fuel and polluting industries (Oil Change International, 2024). This is not an environmental policy. It is a transfer of wealth from the poor to the rich disguised as environmentalism.

1.5 The institutional crisis

French institutions suffer from a structural rigidity that prevents them from adapting to the challenges of the 21st century. The complex administrative structure—municipalities (36,000), inter-municipalities, departments (101), regions (18), and the State—produces confusion, duplication, and a colossal cost.

• Cost of territorial organization: approximately 230 billion euros/year (spending by local authorities + State)
• Number of public sector employees: 5.7 million (20% of the working population), of which an estimated 30% are duplicates.
• Average time to obtain a building permit: 8.2 months (compared to 2.3 months in Estonia)
• Number of laws in force: over 400,000, of which 40% are never applied

 

PART II — THE DDS MODEL: OUR FOUNDING PRINCIPLES

Before presenting specific solutions, it is essential to understand the principles on which they are based. DDS is not a traditional party. We are a global political organization that operates according to radically different rules.

2.1 Real democracy, not represented

DDS believes in direct democracy enhanced by technology. Each member is a collective owner of the organization (one non-transferable share per member = Non-Transferable Collective Ownership, NTCO). Every important decision is made through a verifiable, transparent, and tamper-proof vote.

Applied to French governance, this means: citizens must have a direct, regular and binding right to vote on decisions that affect their lives — not just every 5 years to choose a representative who will then do whatever he wants.

2.2 Non-transferable collective ownership

Public goods belong to the citizens. Not to shareholders, not to multinationals, not to financial speculation. DDS firmly opposes any privatization of essential services: water, healthcare, education, energy, and transportation. These goods are rights, not markets.

2.3 Merit, not privilege

Positions of responsibility must be obtained through verifiable competence, genuine merit, and a transparent career path—not through connections, prestigious schools, or being born into the right family. DDS applies a Meritocratic Points system that tracks and rewards the actual contributions of each member.

2.4 Total transparency

Every decision, every expenditure, every contract entered into by a public institution must be public, accessible, and verifiable by every citizen in real time. Corruption thrives in opacity. Transparency is the best anti-corruption measure.

2.5 Coherence and logic

We reject contradictions. If France wants to reduce inequality, it cannot maintain tax loopholes for the ultra-rich. If it wants credible environmental policies, it cannot subsidize pesticides. Every policy must be consistent with its stated objectives. Otherwise, it's a lie.

 

PART III — POLITICAL AND INSTITUTIONAL PROGRAMME

3.1 Democratic Refounding

3.1.1 The Sixth Republic: an urgent necessity

The Fifth Republic is over. It was useful in its time. Today, it is an obstacle to true democracy. DDS proposes a transition to a Sixth Republic based on the following principles:

1. A President of the Republic with powers reduced to the functions of representation, foreign policy and guarantor of the Constitution — without the power to govern by decree or to dissolve Parliament unilaterally.
2. A stronger Parliament, with genuine government control, independent investigative means, and facilitated censorship rights.
3. A Prime Minister responsible to Parliament, elected by it and removable by it.
4. The removal of Article 49.3 (government without a vote) and Article 16 (exceptional presidential powers without control).
5. The establishment of a Citizen Constitutional Court composed of half elected jurists and half randomly selected citizens.

3.1.2 The Mandatory Citizens' Initiative Referendum (RIC)

The Citizens' Initiative Referendum (RIC) must be enshrined in the Constitution. Its rules:

• Trigger: 500,000 verified signatures from French citizens within 6 months
• Requirement: once the signatures are collected, the referendum must be organized within 6 months.
• Quorum: valid if 50%+1 of registered voters vote
• Scope: any subject of law, constitutional or public policy — except fundamental rights which cannot be reduced by referendum
• Counter-proposal: the National Assembly may submit a counter-proposal to be voted on in the same vote.

CONCRETE EXAMPLE — The Citizens' Initiative Referendum in Practice Scenario: 600,000 citizens sign a petition for a referendum on the nationalization of the A1 motorway, whose concession is expiring. The government is obligated to organize the vote. Citizens choose between: (a) renewing the private concession, (b) nationalizing management at market price, (c) creating a regional public company. The result is binding. That's democracy.

3.1.3 Electoral reform

• Introduction of full proportional representation for legislative elections, with a 3% access threshold
• Secure electronic voting with verification via an auditable public blockchain
• Mandatory voting with a 'blank vote' option: if blank votes exceed 50%, the election is cancelled and new candidates are designated.
• Prohibition from applying to persons convicted of financial crimes or offenses, even with a suspended sentence.
• A limit of two non-consecutive terms for any elected official, regardless of level.
• Mandatory full publication of elected officials' assets, updated annually, with automated verification

3.1.4 The reform of political parties

• Exclusive public funding of political parties, proportional to the number of verified dues-paying members — total ban on private funding
• Campaign spending limits: €50,000 maximum for a municipal election, €500,000 for legislative elections, €5 million for the presidential election
• Obligation to publish accounts in real time on an open public platform
• Elimination of the tax exemption for donations to political parties exceeding 200 euros

3.2 Administrative Reform

3.2.1 Radical simplification of the complex territorial structure

France cannot afford 36,000 municipalities, 101 departments, 18 regions, AND an omnipresent central government. DDS proposes a three-tiered reorganization:

6. The nation-state: defense, foreign policy, legislation, justice, common standards
7. The strengthened regions (15 metropolitan regions + 5 overseas): education, health, regional transport, urban planning, local economy
8. The Communes-Communities: basic units of local democracy, with a minimum size of 10,000 inhabitants (except in rural areas) — the current 36,000 communes are grouped into approximately 3,500 coherent entities

ESTIMATED SAVINGS FROM TERRITORIAL REFORM Elimination of the 101 departmental councils: savings of €21 billion/year. Reduction of administrative duplication between the State and Regions: €8 billion/year. Consolidation of municipalities and pooling of services: €12 billion/year. Total minimum identified savings: €41 billion per year, without eliminating services, solely through the elimination of redundancies. These savings directly fund the social investments proposed in this program.

3.2.2 The radical digitization of the administration

• A unique, secure, and optional digital identity for all administrative acts.
• Zero paper required for national administrations within 3 years — with exceptions for people without digital access
• Regional digital one-stop shops for all procedures (based on the Estonian model)
• Artificial intelligence for the automatic detection of tax and social security fraud — but with systematic human auditing before any sanctions are imposed
• Total open data: all non-sensitive government data is public and in open format

 

PART IV — ECONOMIC PROGRAMME

4.1 Tax reform: fairness, efficiency, transparency

4.1.1 Tax Diagnosis

The French tax system is the most complex and burdensome in the OECD. It is also profoundly unfair: the middle class and SMEs pay proportionally much more than large multinational corporations and the wealthy, who have the means to optimize (legally) or evade (illegally).

Category	Average effective rate	legal rate	Gap
Average salary (€2,000/month)	28%	30%	Minimal
French SME	24%	25%	Minimal
Large French company (CAC40)	14%	25%	Important
Multinational with optimization	7-9%	25%	Massive
Financial assets > €5M	12%	30%+	Very important

4.1.2 Income Tax Reform

• Creation of 12 slices instead of 5, with a much finer and more precise progression
• Maximum marginal tax rate: 72% above 500,000 euros of annual income (compared to 45% today)
• Elimination of 80% of tax loopholes (maintaining only those with a demonstrable social impact: home employment for disabled people, investments in depopulated rural areas)
• Family quotient replaced by universal, income-dependent, direct allowances — fairer, more transparent
• A minimum effective tax of 20% applies to all income exceeding €150,000, without exception.

4.1.3 Corporate Taxation

• A uniform corporate tax rate of 20% for all businesses, without exception or loopholes.
• The 'do it in the country where you sell' principle: profits are taxed in the countries of sale, not in tax havens (application of the OECD Pillar 2 project with a global minimum rate of 15%, but strengthened to 20% in France)
• Surcharge on profits not reinvested within 3 years: 30% tax on profits held in cash exceeding 20% of turnover
• Tax credit for creating permanent jobs in France: 15% of gross salary in the first year, 7% in the second year
• Complete elimination of Urban Enterprise Zones in their current form — replacement by direct employment subsidies conditional on maintaining local jobs

4.1.4 Tax on productive wealth

DDS is not against wealth. We are against unproductive and parasitic wealth. Our proposal:

• Reinstatement of a wealth tax (ISF) with total exemption for active means of production (businesses, investments created) and taxation of purely financial assets, speculative real estate and passive inheritances.
• Rates: 0.5% between €2.5 million and €5 million, 1% between €5 million and €10 million, 1.5% above that — but only on the liabilities side of the estate
• Estimated additional revenue: 8 to 12 billion euros/year

4.1.5 Combating tax fraud

INVISIBLE BLEEDING Tax fraud costs France between 60 and 80 billion euros per year, according to the most credible estimates (Solidaires Finances Publiques union). For comparison, this is more than the national education budget (63 billion euros). Recovering even 50% of this fraud would eliminate the public deficit in two years.

9. Doubling of tax staff with specialization in international taxation
10. Creation of an independent National Anti-Financial Corruption Agency, endowed with powers of investigation and seizure
11. Automatic exchange of real-time banking data with all EU countries and OECD signatories
12. A minimum sentence of one year's imprisonment without parole is imposed for tax fraud exceeding 500,000 euros.
13. Reward for tax whistleblowers: 10% of the recovered funds
14. Prohibition of state representation by law firms with clients convicted of tax evasion

4.2 Reindustrialization and employment

4.2.1 Industrial Diagnosis

France has lost a third of its industrial jobs in 30 years. The industrialization rate has fallen from 22% to 9.8% of GDP. This deindustrialization is not inevitable—it is the result of deliberate political choices that have favored finance at the expense of production.

4.2.2 The DDS Reindustrialization Plan

• Creation of a National Strategic Investment Fund (FNIS) endowed with 50 billion euros over 5 years, financed by the tax on speculative financial assets
• Priority will be given to strategic sectors: clean energy (hydropower, next-generation nuclear, solar), health/pharmaceuticals, healthy agri-food, sustainable transport, sovereign digital technology, and defense.
• 'Buy French' smart: preference for French suppliers for all public contracts, with up to a 15% price difference compared to the cheapest foreign offer.
• Revolutionized vocational training: an adapted German dual system, with 40% of the time spent in a company from vocational high school onwards for all technical trades
• Reduction of employer social security contributions for manufacturing industries with fewer than 500 employees: from 42% to 28% of gross salary

CONCRETE EXAMPLE — The French Batteries Plan France has lithium reserves in the Massif Central (deposits valued at 3-4 billion euros). The plan: public extraction under strict citizen control (zero environmental compromises), local processing into battery cells, and integration into a 100% French electric vehicle sector. Jobs created: between 25,000 and 40,000 direct jobs, 80,000 indirect jobs. Public investment: 3 billion euros. Tax revenue over 10 years: 12 billion euros.

4.2.3 Labour Market Reform

The French labor market suffers from a toxic duality: highly protected permanent contracts on one side, and precarious contracts (fixed-term contracts, temporary work, forced self-employment) on the other, leaving the client completely vulnerable. DDS proposes:

• A single, progressive employment contract: increasing protections with seniority (at 6 months, 1 year, 3 years) — gradual elimination of the distinction between permanent and fixed-term contracts
• A minimum living wage of €1,600 net (compared to €1,398 currently), automatically indexed to inflation
• Working hours: 35 hours will remain the standard, but monthly and annual flexibility is possible with the agreement of the employees concerned (not just the employer).
• Right to disconnect from digital technology: guaranteed by law, enforceable against the employer
• Equal pay for men and women: mandatory annual audit with publication for all companies with more than 50 employees — fines of 2% of turnover if the gap > 5% is unjustified
• Mandatory profit-sharing: a minimum of 15% of net profit distributed to employees for companies with more than 50 employees (instead of the current optional and opaque system)

4.3 Monetary and banking policy

4.3.1 The question of monetary sovereignty

France, as a member of the eurozone, does not have direct control over its monetary policy. This is a fact that any serious program must take into account. DDS does not advocate leaving the euro, which would be destructive in the short term. We propose a profound reform of the governance of the ECB and the use of European tools.

• The ECB's mandate should be broadened to explicitly include full employment and the ecological transition, in addition to price stability — like the US Fed.
• Creation of a common European investment budget (at least 2% of European GDP) financed by common European bonds
• Reform of the Stability Pact: replacement of the 3% deficit rule with a 'golden rule' that excludes productive and green public investments from the calculation

4.3.2 Banking sector reform

• Strict separation of deposit banking activities (guaranteed by the State) and investment banking (speculative) — partial return to Glass-Steagall
• Financial transaction tax: 0.1% on all equity transactions, 0.01% on derivatives — estimated revenue: 15 billion/year
• Creation of a strengthened Public Development Bank (extension of the BPI) with a mandate to invest in long-term projects supported by the market
• Bank charges are capped: no charges exceed the actual cost of the service, and are monitored by the ACPR with enhanced sanctioning powers.
• Mortgage loans: maximum rates set by the Bank of France for primary residences — protection against abuse during a crisis

 

PART V — SOCIAL PROGRAMME

5.1 Health: a right, not a market

5.1.1 The collapse of the health system

The French healthcare system, once a global model, is in existential crisis. The figures are undeniable:

• Medical deserts: 6.3 million French people do not have a primary care physician
• Average wait time for a psychiatrist appointment: 3 to 5 months in high-demand areas
• Emergency room visits: 40% of emergency room visits are not emergencies (a sign of the collapse of primary care).
• Healthcare worker burnout: 1 in 3 doctors experiencing severe psychological distress (National Observatory of Health Professions Demography, 2024)
• Pharmaceutical deserts: 3.1 million French people live more than 15 minutes from a pharmacy

5.1.2 The DDS health plan

15. The numerus clausus is definitively abolished, with a 50% increase in places in medical school and nursing schools within 5 years.
16. Primary healthcare public service: creation of 3,000 public multi-professional health centers in medical deserts, with state-salaried doctors (voluntary option for doctors)
17. 100% reimbursement for essential care: dental (basic care), vision (1 pair of glasses every 3 years), audiology — complete elimination of out-of-pocket expenses for these services
18. National mental health plan: creation of 500 additional mental health centers, creation of a 'psychologist without upfront costs' pathway — 12 sessions per year fully reimbursed
19. Preventive medicine: free annual health check-up for all French citizens — the cost is recouped in 3 years through the reduction of serious illnesses treated late.
20. Prohibition of fee overruns in sector 2 for essential consultations

FINANCING THE HEALTH REFORM Gross additional cost: €18 billion/year. Savings generated: reduction in avoidable hospitalizations (€5 billion), reduction in emergency transport (€2 billion), reduction in sick leave through early access to care (€6 billion), reduction in complex dental/optical treatments through prevention (€3 billion). Actual net cost: €2 to €4 billion. Financed by: a 1.5% increase in the CSG (General Social Contribution) on investment income + a reduction in VAT on non-reimbursed medications.

5.2 Education: the fundamental investment

5.2.1 The educational diagnosis

France invests heavily in its education system—€140 billion per year—but with mediocre results compared to similar countries. The problem isn't the overall budget. It's the allocation, the teaching methods, and the structure.

• PISA 2022: France falls below the OECD average in mathematics for the first time
• The gap in performance between students from advantaged and disadvantaged backgrounds is among the highest in the OECD.
• First-year university failure rate: 60% (Ministry of Higher Education, 2024)
• Illiteracy: 7% of adults in France (2.5 million people) — stable for 15 years

5.2.2 The DDS Education Plan

21. Absolute priority for primary school: doubling the student-teacher ratio in CP and CE1 classes in priority education zones (maximum class size of 10 students), to be implemented nationwide within 5 years.
22. Outdated pedagogy: abandoning the 'lecture' as the sole method — mandatory introduction of active, project-based, and cooperative methods in teacher training
23. Real equality of resources: funding per capita, standardized across the entire territory, with bonuses for establishments in difficulty (not perimeter-based — the money follows the student)
24. High school reform: elimination of the distinction between literature/science/economics tracks in the final year — common skills baccalaureate + 3 specializations chosen from 20
25. Apprenticeships revolutionized: improved status for apprentices, increased remuneration, full social protection, right to return to initial training at any time
26. University: end of selection by failure — active guidance, pathways, support. Undergraduate studies must educate, not eliminate.
27. Compulsory schooling from ages 3 to 18 — with an obligation of results for the State, not just attendance for the student

5.3 Housing: the fundamental right denied

Housing is the largest expense for the French and the primary source of insecurity. The housing crisis is not inevitable—it is the result of political choices that have allowed real estate speculation at the expense of the right to a roof over one's head.

Housing indicator	Value	Trend
Vacant housing in France	3.1 million	Upward
Homeless (official estimate)	330,000	Up 130% since 2012
Housing effort rate for middle classes	35-45% income	Upward
Social housing units pending	2.4 million applications	Waiting line for 7-12 year olds in the Île-de-France region
Price per square meter in Paris proper	9,800 euros	Inaccessible middle class

DDS Housing Programme

28. Aggressive tax on vacant housing: 15% of the rental value in the first year, 30% in the second, 60% in the third — exceptions for ongoing renovations, inheritance, forced relocation
29. Strict rent control in all urban areas with more than 100,000 inhabitants: maximum rent = 25 euros/m2 (variable by zone) for new leases
30. Program for 500,000 public housing units over 5 years: financed by savings from territorial reform + zero-interest loan from BPI
31. End of the Non-Professional Furnished Rental status in high-demand areas: Airbnb apartments in high-demand areas are reclassified as standard leases or subject to taxes at 80% of rental income.
32. The enforceable right to housing has been strengthened: the State has an obligation to offer a decent housing solution within 3 months to any person in a situation of extreme housing inadequacy.
33. Massive energy renovation: 1 million energy-inefficient homes (classes F and G) renovated per year, 100% subsidy for homeowners with incomes below twice the minimum wage

5.4 Social protection: universal and fair

5.4.1 Universal Basic Income (UBI)

DDS proposes a Universal Basic Income for all adult French residents, paid without any activity requirement, but conditional on residency and regularity of stay for foreign nationals.

• Amount: 900 euros/month per adult, 450 euros/dependent child
• Tax-free up to 900 euros, taxable above that (if other income is involved).
• It replaces: RSA (income support), activity bonus, basic unemployment allowance, personalized housing assistance — a radical simplification
• It maintains and is added to: specific disability allowances, parental allowances, and disability pensions.
• Funding: €280 billion per year. Sources: savings on replaced subsidies (€85 billion), tax reform (an additional €80 billion), elimination of administrative redundancies (€41 billion), financial transaction tax (€15 billion), increased social security contribution on wealth (€20 billion), remaining amount to be financed (€39 billion) = debt to be financed over 5 years, amortized by the growth generated by the Universal Basic Income (UBI).

WHY RBU WORKS — THE EVIDENCE Finnish experience (2017-2018): 2,000 unemployed people received €560/month unconditionally. Results: improved well-being, increased self-confidence, higher job search rates than the control group, zero disincentive effect. Namibian experience (2008-2009): Otjivero village. Crime reduced by 42%, school attendance increased by 90%, and the creation of small businesses multiplied fivefold. Basic Income is not welfare. It is an investment in human capital.

5.4.2 Pensions: fairness and viability

The debate on pensions in France is caricatured by all sides. The reality is more nuanced.

• The pay-as-you-go system is viable, but needs to be made more equitable.
• Retirement age: 62 for arduous professions (extended list, revised every 5 years), 64 for others — the option to postpone retirement to 64 is maintained, but with genuine exceptions for arduous professions.
• Minimum pension: €1,200 net/month for a full career, €900 for an incomplete career
• Capital income contributions: income from assets (dividends, capital gains, rents) contributes at the same rate as wages for retirement — eliminating a fundamental injustice
• Gradual retirement, mandatory for employers from age 58: the possibility of progressively reducing working hours while partially maintaining pension rights.

 

PART VI — ECOLOGICAL PROGRAMME

6.1 The real energy transition

6.1.1 Nuclear and renewables: no ideology

DDS rejects the religious war between pro-nuclear and pro-renewable energy factions. We look at the figures and the reality.

• France has the most decarbonized electricity grid in Europe thanks to nuclear power (90% of electricity is CO2-free).
• Current nuclear fission technology has real problems: waste, costs, risks — these need to be acknowledged.
• Renewable energies have progressed dramatically in cost and efficiency but are intermittent.
• The logical solution: maintain and secure existing nuclear power plants, build 4 new EPR2s, invest massively in solar and wind power, develop storage (batteries, green hydrogen, pumped hydro storage)

6.1.2 The DDS energy plan

34. Energy renovation of 1 million buildings/year (see housing section): -40% reduction in building energy consumption in 10 years
35. Electrification of transport: end of the sale of new internal combustion engine vehicles in 2030 (+ 2 years compared to the current plan, to allow for the adaptation of the sector), with a replacement bonus of 15,000 euros for low-income households
36. Social energy tariff: the first 3 kWh/day and the first 10 m3 of gas/month are free for everyone (basic needs), the rest is billed progressively — eliminating energy poverty
37. Green hydrogen: 5 billion euros of public investment over 5 years for production by electrolysis from renewable electricity — intended for heavy industry
38. Solar farms on parking lots: legal obligation to cover all parking lots with more than 100 spaces with solar panels — 13 GW of potential additional capacity without land development

6.2 Agriculture and food

6.2.1 The French food paradox

France is a major agricultural power that is poisoning its citizens and destroying its biodiversity. This is the stark and verified diagnosis.

• Pesticide use: 3rd largest consumer in Europe by volume despite the Ecophyto plan (objectives not met)
• Nitrates: 67% of groundwater in degraded condition (Water Agency, 2024)
• Obesity and metabolic diseases linked to processed food: €250 billion/year cost to the healthcare system
• Average agricultural income: €1,200/month, a third below the poverty line — farmers produce wealth but live in precarious conditions.

6.2.2 The DDS agricultural plan

39. CAP aid conditionality: the 9 billion euros in European subsidies received by France are conditional on a verifiable and progressive pesticide reduction plan
40. Guaranteed minimum price for basic products: the price paid to the producer cannot be less than the cost of production + a 10% margin — Egalim law strengthened with real sanctions
41. Agroecological transition: a 3 billion euro, 5-year program to support farmers in adopting practices free of synthetic pesticides — with income compensation during the transition period (minimum 3 years)
42. 100% French and 50% organic school meals within 5 years: the 10 million meals served daily in school canteens become a guaranteed growth driver for local production
43. Reducing food waste: mandatory food donations for all businesses larger than 400 m2, ban on the destruction of unsold non-perishable products, national redistribution platform

6.3 Biodiversity and natural areas

• Target: 30% of French territory under strong protection by 2030 (CBD COP15 commitment — currently only 4%)
• The ZAN (Zero Net Artificialisation) law has been strengthened: the 2030 target remains in place with effective sanctions, and carbon offsetting is required for any exemption.
• Reintroduction of extinct species into their natural habitats (wolf, bear, lynx) with compensation funds for affected livestock farmers
• Synthetic pesticides are prohibited in peri-urban areas and within 200m of dwellings.
• Taxation of plastic pollution at the source: a tax of 2 euros/kg on all single-use plastic produced or imported into France

 

PART VII — FOREIGN POLICY AND SECURITY

7.1 An independent and coherent foreign policy

France has a tradition of independent foreign policy—Gaullist France refused to submit to the blocs. This independence has gradually eroded. DDS proposes a return to a truly autonomous diplomacy, founded on republican values and the real interests of the French people.

• Remaining in NATO but with profound governance reform — France demands a veto right over any non-defense operation on member states' territory
• A radically reformed African policy: an end to political interference (support for 'allied' dictators), priority given to equitable economic partnerships, and respect for the sovereignty of peoples.
• Strengthening multilateral diplomacy: priority to the UN, the African Union, and South-South cooperation
• End to arms sales to states in civil war or involved in conflicts causing humanitarian crises — a principle of consistency with human rights values

7.2 Defense and security

7.2.1 National Defence

• Defense budget maintained at 2% of GDP with rigorous audit of current spending — identifying and eliminating the 8 billion in waste identified by the Court of Auditors
• Priority to cyber defense: creation of a National Cyber Security Agency (ANC) with 5,000 specialists trained over 5 years
• Defense industry: maintaining a 100% sovereign industrial base for critical equipment — no sensitive defense equipment produced outside of France
• Universal civic service (not military): 6 months mandatory for all young people aged 18 to 25 (first aid training, civil defense, community service) — with minimum wage pay

7.2.2 Internal Security

Security is a fundamental right. It is not the sole prerogative of the right. The left, by abandoning the issue of security to far-right parties, is committing a major political and moral error. DDS asserts: security and social justice are not incompatible—they are complementary.

• 20,000 additional police officers and gendarmes to be recruited over 5 years, with priority given to currently under-served areas
• Police training reform: a minimum of 2 years (compared to the current 8 months), including psychology, human rights, conflict management, and de-escalation techniques.
• Independence of the police inspectorate (IGPN): reporting to Parliament, not to the Ministry of the Interior
• Crime prevention plan: €3 billion/year for prevention associations, street educators, and mediation programs — prevention is three times cheaper than repression
• Prison reform: French prisons are a republican scandal — overcrowding at 140%, recidivism rate of 60%. Objective: to reduce the number of incarcerations by 30% through alternative sentences for minor offenses, and to make prisons truly rehabilitative.

7.3 Immigration: reality, rights, and responsibilities

Immigration is the most politically exploited issue in France. DDS proposes a position based on facts, logic, republican values, and consistency.

FACTS ABOUT IMMIGRATION IN FRANCE Net migration in 2023: +258,000 people (50% of whom are students and skilled workers). Immigrants represent 10.3% of the population (stable for the past 10 years). They account for 12% of social security contributors (immigrants contribute more than they receive on average). Asylum applications in 2023: 145,000, of which 27% were accepted. The cost of irregular immigration is estimated at €4-6 billion, but the economic contribution of immigrants is between €30 and €50 billion according to the OECD.

• Right of asylum: strict and swift application of the Geneva Convention — decision within a maximum of 6 months, appeal within 3 months — full dignity during the procedure
• Managed economic immigration: quotas per sector in high demand (health, construction, agriculture) set annually by Parliament after consultation with social partners — neither open nor closed, but organized
• Enhanced integration: mandatory and free French language courses, civic integration program with Meritocratic Points (adapted from the DDS system), access to social housing conditional on active participation
• Fighting exploitation: employers who employ undocumented workers are prosecuted and convicted — not just the workers
• Regularization: a program for the occasional regularization (every 5 years) of people who have been undocumented for more than 5 years, who are employed, and have no criminal record — pragmatism and humanism

 

PART VIII — DIGITAL GOVERNANCE AND ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE

8.1 Digital sovereignty

France relies on American (GAFA) and emerging Chinese digital platforms for its communications, commerce, and data. This dependence represents a strategic vulnerability and an economic injustice. GAFA extracts hundreds of billions of dollars in value from French citizens without paying their fair share of taxes.

• Sovereign cloud: obligation for all administrations and public institutions to use cloud solutions hosted on French or European soil by 2027
• Free software given priority: government agencies are required to prioritize open-source solutions, with documentation of each exception.
• Digital education: 2 hours/week of programming, computer security and critical thinking regarding digital media from 6th grade onwards
• Strengthened GAFA tax: alignment with the tax rate of equivalent French companies — if Google, Meta, and Amazon paid the same effective rate as a French SME, an additional €3 billion per year would be generated.

8.2 Artificial intelligence: opportunity and rules

AI is the most significant technological revolution since the internet. France and Europe have a choice: to be swept along by this revolution (as with the internet) or to master it. DDS chooses mastery.

• National AI Plan: 5 billion euros of public investment over 5 years in sovereign AI research, annotated public data, and sector-specific applications (health, agriculture, administration)
• European AI regulation: active support and strengthening — ban on Chinese-style social rating AI, strict regulation of biometric surveillance, mandatory auditing of public decision-making algorithms
• AI in healthcare: a national electronic medical record sharing system, usable by AI for prevention and diagnosis, with explicit patient consent and guaranteed data sovereignty.
• Job protection in the face of AI: any company that replaces jobs with AI pays an additional social security contribution of 20% of the saved salary for 5 years — funding for the training of affected employees

 

PART IX — IMPLEMENTATION, CHRONOLOGY AND CONSEQUENCES

9.1 Implementation timeline

A serious program must be realistic in its sequence. Everything cannot be done at once. DDS proposes a 10-year roadmap with clear priorities.

Phase	Years	Priorities	Expected results
Phase 1 — Foundations	1-2	Electoral reform, RIC, anti-corruption, tax audit, territorial reform	Trust restored, economies identified, institutions legitimized
Phase 2 — Transition	3-5	RBU phase 1, health, housing, reindustrialization, energy plan	Visible improvement in daily life, jobs created, social divide reduced
Phase 3 — Consolidation	6-8	Full UBI, educational reform, agricultural transition, digital sovereignty	Stable system, sustainable growth, reduced deficit
Phase 4 — Radiation	9-10	Constitutional reform, European model, export of the model	France, European leader of real democracy

9.2 Overall Financing

The question that kills any serious proposal: how to finance this? Here is the answer in figures.

Source of funding	Estimated annual amount	Reliability
Tax reform (tax loopholes, evasion, wealth tax)	+85 billion	High (based on data from the Court of Auditors + PNF)
Territorial reform economies	+41 billion	Elevated (identified, achievable within 5 years)
Financial transaction tax	+15 billion	Raised (Swedish model, English model, EU 2025)
Increased tax on vacant housing	+8 billion	Moderate (dependent on real estate policy)
Redistribution of existing expenses	+30 billion	High (savings on systems replaced by RBU)
Public borrowing (investments)	+30 billion	Justified (7-year return on investment)
ADDITIONAL TOTAL	+209 billion	Realistic over 5 years with sequential implementation

The total additional spending on the program (basic income, health, education, housing, ecological transition, security, reindustrialization) is estimated at between €180 and €210 billion per year once fully implemented. The financing is therefore balanced, without irresponsibly increasing the deficit.

9.3 Intended Consequences

9.3.1 Positive Consequences

• Poverty reduction: from 14.4% to 5% in 10 years thanks to the UBI and social reforms
• Unemployment was reduced from 7.3% to 4% in 5 years thanks to reindustrialization, strengthened public services, and demand stimulation through a basic income.
• Reduction of inequalities: Gini coefficient from 0.304 to 0.26 in 10 years (Danish level)
• Economic growth: +1.5% additional per year thanks to demand supported by the basic income and public investment
• Democratic trust: estimated abstention down 30 points in 8 years thanks to the Citizens' Initiative Referendum (RIC) and institutional reforms
• Public health: Healthy life expectancy increased by 3 years in 10 years thanks to prevention and access to care
• Environment: CO2 emissions reduced by 45% in 10 years thanks to energy and agricultural reforms

9.3.2 Negative Consequences and Risks — Honest

DDS is committed to total transparency. Here are the foreseeable risks and negative effects that any honest program must acknowledge.

• Short term (1-3 years): increased taxes for high incomes and large fortunes — risk of some taxpayers leaving (capital is mobile, people are not)
• Banking sector: the separation of banking activities will lead to an adaptation period of 2 to 3 years with possible decreases in profitability.
• Real estate: rent control and the tax on vacant dwellings will lower property prices by 15 to 25% in high-demand areas — that's the objective, but it will affect landlords.
• Agriculture: the transition to agroecology implies 3 to 5 years of reduced income for some farmers — compensated by transitional aid, but with a difficult period
• Political resistance: the interest groups that benefit from the status quo (pharmaceutical, financial, agribusiness, and real estate lobbies) will do everything to block these reforms — this is the main political battle

THE PROMISE OF COHERENCE DDS is committed to a basic principle: if a proposed measure produces effects different from those intended, we amend or cancel it. No ideology that resists evidence. No policy maintained out of dogmatism when facts show it doesn't work. This is the difference between traditional politics (which maintains measures to avoid admitting error) and the DDS model (which learns, adapts, and evolves).

 

CONCLUSION: THE FRANCE WE WANT

This program is not a utopia. It is an aggregation of solutions that have worked elsewhere, adapted to the French reality, financed responsibly, with a realistic timeline.

France has all the assets to become a global model again — not of military power or aristocratic cultural prestige, but of social justice, democratic innovation, and ecological sustainability.

This requires something that traditional parties are incapable of doing: telling the truth, even when it's inconvenient. Acknowledging mistakes. Proposing radical changes, but ones grounded in logic and reality.

DirectDemocracyS doesn't promise a paradise on earth. We promise a process: a transparent, logical, coherent process where citizens are actors, not spectators. Where decisions are made with them, not for them.

France deserves better than the political spectacle it has witnessed for decades. French citizens are intelligent, hardworking, and creative. They simply lack the tools to fully exercise their sovereignty.

DirectDemocracyS offers them these tools.

directdemocracys.org | public.directdemocracys.org

Logic. Common sense. Truth. Consistency. Mutual respect.

One member = one non-transferable share = one equal vote.