The current recession has revived interest in solidarity finance as an innovative solution. However, this view needs to be qualified. Since the 19th century in France, solidarity finance has developed as a source of complementary finance as a result of changes in financial regulation. Is this complementary relationship with the conventional financial system simply a corrective for the system's shortcomings or a real alternative in the financial relationships between borrowers and financial intermediaries, and in the organisation of the system? Using a comparative historical approach, we show the permanency of solidarity finance while highlighting continuities and discontinuities. We then discuss the relationship between solidarity finance and the conventional financial system, which involves both financial inclusion and changes in the rules.
