Coronavirus: astonishing situation in Saint-Gingolph, on the Franco-Swiss border

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A restaurant open on one side of the street, closed on the other, just because the confinement is not the same a few meters away. The situation may surprise. It is however that which prevails in Saint-Gingolph. For three weeks, the French restaurateurs in the village have looked philosophically at the terraces full of their Swiss colleagues and hope to be able to experience the same success as soon as they can reopen. 

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From our correspondent in Geneva, Jérémie Lanche

Gregory doesn't really have time to speak. And for good reason, this waiter at the restaurant Le Rivage, on the Swiss side of Saint-Gingolph, must deal with an almost full terrace. Change of scenery just a few meters away. On the French side of the village. Jimmy runs the Crêperie du lac. But the take-out sale was not as successful as expected.

“  We had no orders today, we opened just to say that we and there, regrets the restaurateur. After that, it is true that since our clientele is rather Swiss, it is true that there have been zero days  ”.

Géraldine Pfliegler is the mayor of the French commune of Saint-Gingolph. More than the opening of restaurants on the French side, it is the opening of the border that she is looking forward to. 

"  The fact that the border is closed means that fewer people pass through the village overall, " she explains. Both on the Swiss side and on the French side, we are waiting for the border to reopen because, in addition, the fact that we are a bit in a cul-de-sac on the French side, there are also fewer French people passing by to come spend an afternoon on the Swiss side and it is true that we are longing for June 15  "

Impatience, but no resentment between French and Swiss, we are assured. The inhabitants of Saint-Gingolph are also allowed to cross the border as they wish. One way to keep the local economy going.

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• Swiss
• Coronavirus
• France