PARIS, Sept. 13 (Xinhua) -- French President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday rose the curtain on his plan to tackle poverty, with which he vowed to offer opportunity to about 8.8 million poor French people to get out of poverty.
Addressing a gathering at Musee de L'Homme in Paris, Macron said that "If I am here in front of you, it is to try to launch a new, indispensable, vital battle for our country, that of resolutely deciding not to forget anybody," noting that the current French social model does not allow to sufficiently prevent and eradicate poverty.
In order to translate his pledges into deeds, the French president vowed to merge the country's all social benefits into an "universal income of activity" via a law by 2020 "to allow everyone to live decently."
"This income will be universal because everyone can claim as soon as his income will fall below a certain threshold. It will be simple, fair and transparent ...to finally provide a unique response to ensure that people live with dignity," he stressed.
As part of four-year scheme to fight poverty, Macron pledged to devote 50 million euros (58.38 million U.S. dollars) to create " a real public integration service" aimed at helping teens and young jobseekers who left schools at early age to find adequate trainings and jobs.
In addition, training requirements will be extended from 16 to 18 years old, more creche places are planned for poor children who will also enjoy free school and breakfasts, according to Macron's anti-poverty plan.
In 2016, about 8.8 million people in France were living in poverty. That was equivalent to 14 percent of the population, the national statistics institute, Insee's data showed.
"This poverty plan is not a charity one. It is at the heart of the educational, activity, humanist project that I want for our nation," he added. ( 1 euro = 1.167 U.S. dollar)
