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Key Alpine pass to reopen this summer after €6m repairs
The col d'Allos in Alpes-de-Haute-Provence has been closed since 2023 due to severe weather
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Why 500,000 people in France will soon be getting a call from health officials
A new campaign will target certain individuals with particular health conditions
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Receive a book and a rose: France prepares to celebrate its independent bookshops
The 27th edition of the Fête de la librairie indépendante will take place tomorrow (April 26)
€5bn to help economy in small towns
New government plan aims to fund housing developments and create new jobs
The government has unveiled a €5bn plan to boost the economies of France’s small and medium-sized towns.
Territorial cohesion minister Jacques Mézard said the towns, which are home to almost a quarter of the population (23%), provide 26% of the country’s jobs and have an ‘‘essential role to play in the French economy’’.
A fifth of the fund for the five-year Action cœur de ville campaign will be used to improve housing in rundown towns. The rest will be used to fund a range of schemes including cutting unemployment particularly among young people, boosting healthcare and improving town centres by introducing new rules for out-of-town businesses.