In the Yonne department, the town of Joigny, home to 9,000 residents, has lost over 500 public sector jobs in the past twenty years due to the state's rationalization policy. Sectors such as health, education, taxes, and justice have been hit hard, fueling growing resentment among locals. A 2011 Senate report labeled it a 'martyred town' of the general review of public policies.
Joigny, the former sub-prefecture of the Yonne department, boasts a charming facade with its medieval streets, the castle of the Counts of Gondi, and surrounding vineyards. Yet beneath this picturesque setting, the town endures the impacts of a massive public sector downsizing. At a departmental crossroads, a banner reads 'Joigny seeks doctor,' while a school on the hill overlooking the old town displays a sign stating 'No to class closure.'
Over the past twenty years, most national administrations have shuttered their counters in this community of 9,000 residents, resulting in the loss of more than 500 civil servants. The state's rationalization policy has affected all essential areas: health lacks practitioners, education faces class eliminations, and tax and judicial services have been streamlined. As early as 2011, a Senate report had pinpointed Joigny as a 'martyred town of the RGPP' (general review of public policies), highlighting the scale of these repeated closures.
These job losses and service reductions are breeding growing resentment among residents, whose daily lives are worsening under the December sun. The town, in the heart of rural France, exemplifies the fallout of administrative reforms on the most vulnerable areas.
