As part of the municipal elections, Le Monde begins a series of articles on Montargis, a sub-prefecture in Loiret, to explore the daily life of its residents through their concerns, problems, and pleasures. This average-sized town, neither rural nor urban, has been shaped by past events such as the yellow vests movement and the 2023 riots. The reports focus on its realities, unrelated to cultural references or recent coincidences.
Montargis, in Loiret, embodies 'middle France': an average-sized town, neither rich nor poor, neither rural nor urban. Le Monde launches a series of reports titled 'A Day in Montargis,' spanning two weeks, to depict the lives of its residents amid the municipal elections. The articles will highlight their daily concerns, challenges, and joys.
The town is known in popular culture for a line from the film Tais-toi! (2003) by Francis Veber, where Gérard Depardieu's character Quentin introduces himself as from Montargis. Locals, with a strong sense of self-deprecation, reference it humorously. One resident questions the newspaper's interest: 'In Montargis, something always happens. When it's not Quentin, it's the yellow vests or the 2023 riots. And when nothing happens, there are the floods of the Loing. Is that why Le Monde chose to investigate here?'
The reports do not relate to the recent death of Quentin Deranque in Lyon on February 14, nor to the Loing floods. They draw from local social movements, however. In 2018-2019, and even in 2020, hundreds of yellow vests occupied the 'peanut' roundabout on the south side of the agglomeration, due to its elongated shape. At the height of the mobilization, these actions blocked local perceptions, leading to court convictions, including that of Côme Dunis, the local spokesperson at the time and now a mayoral candidate under the RN label.
The Covid-19 pandemic and police crackdowns on gatherings in Paris ended the movement, leaving feelings of bitterness and dashed hopes. The series will explore these dynamics further in upcoming episodes.
