The rural area where I live is noticeably shifting towards a much harder, more intolerant atmosphere, according to long-established (French) locals.
A few recent examples:-
The manager of the local supermarket openly tells shoppers (ie complete strangers) that he believes all blacks should be shot
A university professor who holds a French passport but has a foreign name, is stopped by the police and asked where he is ‘really from’, and what his purpose of visiting the area is. Answer = returning to his place of work at the nearby university.
My Luxembourg wife is told to her face that “foreigners are flooding the area”.
The Adjoint to the Maire responds to a (long term) resident foreigner who politely asks him to slow down, so she can fully understand his verbal explanation of a planning decision, by telling her that’s her problem, and she should improve her French.
At the last Assemblée Générale election, the local Macroniste MP lost his seat to an RN candidate
The locals put this change of atmosphere down to people feeling they now have ‘permission’ to openly express more anti-foreigner/racist views, courtesy of the public opinions of the RN’s Jordan Bardella et al.
I’m sure this is unfortunately also happening in a number of other areas of France. It would be interesting to hear if others have had similar experiences.
Sounds not very pleasant and I’m sorry to hear this.
So far, no such experiences at all here in redneck bandito land in the Cévennes. In fact the opposite and the ‘locals’. ( there are only 300 in the entire commune) are fairly straightforward people and we’re delighted that we are living here full time rather than holiday home owners.
I understand that of the voting population, some are right, some are in the middle and there a plenty of people still voting for the communist and Socialist parties.
Very much anti Paris and anything outside of Gard, but all in all incredibly welcoming of strangers, and deeply anti-religious…same could be said in neighbouring Lozere as a long time hangover from the various genocides at the hand of various Popes.
The sparsely populated area where we are in very French, I know of one Englishman who runs a micro brewery, and a couple of Flemish people with b&b. So, cant really complain about the influx if the English, Dutch, Belg etc.
I agree. There is far less restraint than there used to be, and tolerance is low. We are fine because of course “we don’t mean you, ,it’s the others that are the problem”. And those others are often mythical people that no one has ever met - certainly not round here where immigration is stable Turkish and Portuguese groups who have been here forever and are pretty well accepted.
We had a very good friend, now deceased, who was quite far the other way from us. Listened and believed CNews, etc. We enjoyed asking her to justify her statements, and I think she equally enjoyed debating with mad people who really didn’t see the complotism that concerned her.
And he’s not even President… yet. I can imagine what’s going on in the place I escaped from, Floriduh.
I’m not seeing any sign of it here in 49 (Maine-et-Loire), and I barely speak French. My wife doesn’t even attempt it and there has been nothing but kindness toward us (of course, we at least start with ‘Bonjour’…).
Blimey @George1, I am so glad that I don’t live where you live (I am sure you know what I mean ) as here in N. Dordogne I have never, ever, in 32 years experienced anything like that. Is it really as bad as that?
Interestingly, there are times when keeping oneself to oneself pays dividends - I have no idea whether any of that is going on round here.
And there are also times when the background babble of French is just white noise. I tune out and am happy to do so.
Blissful ignorance? Maybe. But there is also so much in this world these days that is vicious, cruel, unkind, for the sake of my own wellbeing, I need to find the goodness and not focus on what I cannot change.
I also suspect rural areas everywhere (in every country) tend to be inward looking which can lead to intolerance. Ghettos form in cities. Why? because it’s easier to live in the middle of millions who don’t care about you than a half dozen houses where everyone is watching your every move.
I live in Orne and have done for 26 years. V rural indeed. I think George is totally correct I have been quite taken aback over the past few years to see how the RN is now the party of choice in our commune My neighbours are all lovely helpful people but I now avoid political discussions. It is unfortunately now quite acceptable to support the RN., whereas before it was a dirty little secret
Probably the same way Trump supporters “cope” with his multiple felonies - they celebrate them because it makes him an outlaw who is “sticking it to the Establishment” and “owning the Libs”.
Pretty much like others in the past just to mention a few
Jacques Chirac but Alain Juppé copped it for him
Nicholas Sarkozy
Mitterand was lucky he was mixed up with all sorts…
And I’ve only mentioned ex presidents
Haven’t seen much evidence of that around here (NW Aveyron) The only RW person I know in the village is the conspiracy theorist owner of the crèperie, who just happens to be from the Antilles and has waist-length dreads! (and no discernible sense of humour or irony).
Oh my goodness @George1 ! Can you move? The area in which I live is known to vote predominately RN but villagers are still super friendly. I am so sorry you have had unpleasant experiences where you are.
But would you know? Apart from RW friend I mentioned I avoid sensitive subjects with anyone other than people I am sure about. There are 60 people in our hamlet and over 40 of them voted to the right in the first round - but we are on friendly terms, chat about their dogs, children, and the price of carrots.
It’s a fair point but the people in our commune are quite varied -apparently there’s sixteen different nationalities, and our village has two gay households who are always welcomed. The only people whom neighbours speak ill about are ‘les belges’ and I suspect that’s partly a class thing as well as the xenophobia - he’s an elderly Belgian Air Force / NATO colonel who’s lived everywhere from Kabul to New York and she ‘was born in a chateau’…
We like them and find them cosmopolitan, but endearingly batty also their French is much easier to understand.
Nothing like that in our part of Southern Correze despite our area having a fairly strong RN support. Very laid back and easy going here apart from two bulls in opposite herds who spend a lot of time hurling abuse at each other from two fields split by a lane.
I haven’t noticed George but I blend right in because I’m Northern European looking. I do however know a few Arab guys and they definitely think there’s been a change of mood. Their biggest complaint is about being constantly pulled aside by the police now.
Thank you for all your thoughtful comments.It seems fairly clear that this trend of rising intolerance is equally apparent in some other parts of France.
I’ve spared you all some of the more gory examples, so the answer is yes, it is bad. However (and
it’s not exactly something to celebrate) if you’re Northern European looking, it’s fairly unlikely any of the intolerant behaviours and comments described are going to be personally directed at you or me. I’ve not had anything other than polite, respectful exchanges from people living here, and I’d very much hope that’s how it will continue.
I wouldn’t dream of moving from this beautiful area. However I do feel the scales have fallen from my eyes just a little, when it dawned on me that what I had (until now) regarded as quite unconnected, isolated incidents take on a rather more troubling perspective when viewed all together. Fear of, and suspicion of outsiders, even from the next village, is probably as old as society itself. I’m not totally surprised…
) as here in N. Dordogne I have never, ever, in 32 years experienced anything like that. Is it really as bad as that? 
