Châtellerault rocked by government announcement

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The town of Châtellerault was dealt a hammer-blow by the French Interior Minister Michèle Alliot-Marie last week, as she announced plans to close four of the eight national training centres for the Gendarmerie.  Châtellerault was selected as one of the centres which will close as early as next summer.

The école de gendarmerie in Châtellerault joins those in Montargis (Loiret), Mans (the Sarthe) and Libourne (Aquitaine) as centres that were considered not well enough equipped to handle sweeping changes in the training system due in 2009.

The training centre plays a central role in the economy of the town, and its closure will affect over 1000 people in the area.  The news comes on the back of a difficult year for the towns other major employers in the automotive industry, and people are concerned over the effect the closure will have on this part of Vienne.

There were rumours about potential closures as early as July this year, with government advisor Stephan Bubble recommending the closure of five schools, in a leaked note to the Prime Minister.  Even so, the announcement took local elected officials by surprise, with Claude Bertaud the president of the Conseil General saying he "..had no warning of the announcement", and declaring the decision a "fait accompli."

The decision also comes at a sensitive time for the gendarmerie, as they are due to pass from the Defence Ministry to the Interior Ministry on 1 January 2009, another controversial decision made earlier this year.

The focus now is on what compensation the town will receive from the government, with the Interior Minister due to meet local officials in Paris to thrash out the terms of the closure.