Several deputies, senators, local elected officials from the Ardennes and the president of the Grand Est region on Friday demand from the government "the emergency reopening" of the Franco-Belgian border, pointing to the "economic difficulties" of a partially "landlocked" territory .
The north of the department and especially "the tip of the Ardennes totally landlocked in Belgium" , already in difficulty before the epidemic of Covid-19, are particularly weakened by this crisis and the closing of the border, alerts the deputy The Republicans Pierre Cordier, in a letter co-signed with four parliamentarians, the presidents of regions and departments, and several local elected representatives.
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"The loss of revenue recorded in food stores is considerable, and many jobs are threatened (...) because nearly 70% of customers are Belgian in border businesses" , deplore the elected officials in this text.
At the time of deconfinement in France as in Belgium, "the resumption of the tourist season is crucial for our department" , they argue, proposing to "allow tourists from neighboring countries to come, why not by applying the rule of 100 km regardless of the border ” .
