Euro-Weary French Village Reverts to Franc

Six years after scrapping the franc for the euro, one sleepy town in southern France has reverted, the New York Times reports. Says the mayor of Collobrières, population 1,600, “We lost something with the franc. We lost an identity. We moved very quickly into Europe, maybe too quickly.” Villagers also blame the euro for rising prices and find the faceless pan-European currency bland.

"The euro has made life more expensive; prices are much higher," said the town baker, who came up with the idea of accepting francs to encourage more business. While citizens of Collobrières nurse a degree of anti-European sentiment, the move isn't a political protest—and not every merchant in town is participating. "It wasn't worth it," said one cafe owner about accepting the old currency. "The franc is dead." (More European Union stories.)