12. Rural Property in the Socialist Program

The Program is apparent much more in its goals than in the stages it allows or tolerates out of strategic necessity.

In this perspective, how does rural property - that is, the small family-sized property - stand in a society molded by the SP? This question presupposes the previous elimination of large and medium-sized properties.

Both the Program and the Declaration of the Government's General Policy made by Prime Minister Pierre Mauroy are vague and ambiguous on this point.

The Program proposes, measures that at first seem to be inspired by common sense and a desire to protect the farmer: increased productivity, organized mar­kets, restoration of the farmer's status and the guarantee of his land. The sole exception is a price-protection system for agricultural products which will almost certainly benefit only the small producers. Let the other producers, tol­erated out of gradualism, survive as they can, or wither.

What do the rights of the small land­owner amount to? The principal element of the socialist proposition, is the crea­tion of land offices which, among other things, will organize the markets and be "in charge of ensuring a better distribu­tion and utilization of the soil."

Furthermore, these land offices will be elements of a collective self-management of all arable land by both small land­owners and consumers. This would con­tinuously subject the small property to divisions, changes in size, or amalgama­tions in a situation of permanent land reform under dictatorially regulated prices for agricultural products. ³⁴

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When one considers what the Program as a whole lays down for the self-managing society, some questions come to mind: What is the essence of its inspiration? Is it really liberal? What does it say about religion? This is what we will see now.