“At Crous de Corse, this will cause a strong increase in activity”

Thursday, January 23, the National Assembly approved a bill aimed at giving access to meals to one euro for all students. In 2022, Crous de Corsica had been even further by testing free for everyone for a year. Marc-Paul Luciani, its managing director, returns to this experience and deciphers the possible consequences of new legislation in this area.

The National Assembly adopted a bill from the Socialist Party aimed at giving access to meals to one euro for all students, Thursday, January 23.

A measure that aims to respond to growing precariousness in universities in a context where “36% of students say they have already jumped often or from time to meals due to lack of money”according to an IFOP survey of October 2024.

In Corsica, the Crous serves, on average, 800 to 850 meals each day, or 121,000 per year. Figures “In constant progression”according to Marc-Paul Luciani, its managing director, as well as the use of student residences and financial aid. “The more the students are in trouble, the more they turn to social services “he sums up.

Thus, the proposal voted by the National Assembly would lead to “A strong increase in activity” of the organization, with the technical difficulties which result from it.

Marc-Paul Luciani deciphers, for France 3 Corse Viastella, the possible consequences of a new pricing of student meals and returns to the experiment made in 2022 by the Crous de Corte, who had established free meals.

France 3 Corsica Viastella: The National Assembly has just passed in favor of setting up meals at 1 euro for all students. En As long as Director of Crous de Corse, what is your reaction to this announcement?

Marc-Paul Luciani: It is a measured reaction, since it is only a first reading. There is still a stint in the Senate, so nothing is final, especially in the current context marked by political instability. Besides, nothing has yet been notified to us. But of course, if it were to be adopted, as civil servants, we will respect the law and we will apply it.

Concretely, what impact could this measure have at the University of Corsica?

At the University of Corsica as in the whole network, this will surely generate a massive influx of users who will frequent our restaurants U. We will have to anticipate, provide longer services, reinforced teams, larger stocks … This will cause a strong increase in activity.

The Crous de Corse had been even further than meals at 1 euro, experimenting with free for all students in 2022. But the device had not been renewed for the following year. For what reason?

After the period of the Cavid-19 pandemic, when we reopened our restaurants U, the Crous had asked the Corsican community (CDC) to take care of 1 euro per meal consumed by the students, which had the merit of causing free scholarship holders and dropping the non -stock market ticket to 2.30 euros.

For the 2022-2023 school year, in concert with the CDC, we have experienced total free for a year. So we can talk about it of experience, it happened what I described to you previously, that is to say a strong increase in activity, which has almost doubled.

The report made by Pierrick Nannini in 2022, when setting up free meals for all students of the University of Corsica:

And so that caused difficulties?

Free has received a mixed reception among students, trade union organizations and the university community. Because, in addition to lengthening the queues, this could constitute a rupture of equity. Thus, some student unions preached for a return to fairness, that is to say 1 euro for scholarship holders and 3.30 euros for non-bourse. In 2023, thanks to the help of the CDC, which maintained its support for Precarious scholarship holders and students, the latter no longer pay the meal and non-bourse has returned to 2.30 euros.

Is this free for scholarship holders and precarious students elsewhere on the national territory?

We are The only region that practices free de facto for a very precarious part of its students. We are the only one in the 26th. And it is a measure which is well received, because considered to be fair: those who are in precarious situations do not pay and those who are not scholarship holders pay 2.30 euros. This price allows us to respond to a certain precariousness, even for non-fruits.

In view of this experience, the transition to 1 euro for all students such as voted by the National Assembly would not necessarily be good news for you ?

If we go to 1 euro at the national level, and we withdraw The 1 euro of the CDC, this would amount to total free in Corsica. Which, I mentioned it, had not been very well received, in particular by union organizations. And in fact, it is true that there are many practical consequences. But we are there to give a social service to all the students, so we will face, as we did in 2022.