France Passes Law to Revive Village Cafés in Rural Communities

The new legislation eases restrictions on opening cafés in small villages, aiming to restore vital social hubs while sparking concerns over alcohol consumption.

• The French National Assembly approved a law to simplify opening cafés in villages with fewer than 3,500 residents, where such establishments have largely disappeared.
• The legislation removes bureaucratic hurdles for new cafés in villages that currently lack one, extending a 2019 pilot program into permanent law.
• Proponents highlight the importance of cafés as community meeting points that foster social connections in rural areas.
• Critics have raised concerns that the law could lead to increased alcohol consumption, citing public health risks associated with alcohol-related deaths.
• France has 35,000 municipalities, and 31,000 of them fall under the population threshold set by the law, making this a significant step toward addressing rural isolation.

3 Articles

Stern DER SPIEGEL Der Tagesspiegel