The commune of
Varen, which includes the villages of Arnac and Lexos, has in common with many
other towns and villages in the region the arrival in recent years of many
northern European newcomers – British, Dutch, Belgian, even Parisian – some of
whom have come to make permanent homes in the commune, and others who come and
go to their maisons secondaires. What
sort of impact have we had on the life of the villages and towns we’ve arrived
in?
André Massat, the
maire of Varen, finds the question finely balanced. Many buildings – le patrimoine bâti – have
been renovated and brought back into use, and the local building trade, the
artisans and suppliers, have done well.
At the same time, comparatively wealthy newcomers have pushed prices to
a level where it’s now difficult for a young French couple of ordinary means to
buy a house.
M Massat makes the
comparison between this present wave of immigration to the region, and the
previous one, just before and after WW11, when Italians, Spanish and Portuguese
came to make new lives in the region.
They were young people of working age, and the entered the working
economy and raised their families here.
M Massat considers that, as speakers of romance languages, they were
linguistically and culturally closer to the life they found here than the
present arrivals from the north - mostly
retired people, who don’t engage in any economic activity, who can often remain aloof from local social
life, and find it difficult to learn French.
M Massat is warmly supportive of those who have set up an enterprise in
the region. And he recognises the
stimulus that all the new arrivals have given to the local economy. Everyone – boulangerie, épicerie, bar-tabac,
restauranteur, vet, jardiniste, and many more – benefits here.
M Massat also
praised the cultural stimulation that some newcomers have brought to the area,
referring particularly to the very well received music festivals that have been
held in Varen in the last 3 years. He
did warn however, that participation in such events can be difficult for
village people, who can feel uncomfortable to find themselves plunged into a
majority of English or Dutch speakers.
He urges newcomers to come out to meet the French, and considers that making the effort to learn the language is the most important step. Throughout
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