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Proposals to test or implement a universal basic income have resurfaced in French public discourse in a context of recession and the upcoming presidential elections. Basic income is intended to provide a redistributive effect that can help avoid some of the problems of traditional conditional income-support schemes (non-use, lack of access). Its universality, however, should be called into question. This article first offers a detailed analysis of the basic income proposals that have recently been debated in France. Then, using existing experiences of or experiments with basic income schemes in France or abroad, it examines the feasibility of a large-scale universal implementation. The article also questions basic income proposals from a gender perspective, showing that they are at best gender-blind, and that they often deny the central importance of employment. The article concludes that universal basic income cannot truly be universal. Codes JEL: I3. I38. J. J16.