the essential
As in many French villages, the inhabitants of Cierp-Gaud are very attached to the last public service they have: La Poste.
“What little we have is worth gold.” In Cierp-Gaud, in the Comminges region, the mayor and his constituents are very attached to the last public service present in the town: the post office. This village of a few hundred souls which overlooks the tumultuous waters of La Pique has already fought to ensure that La Poste remains present. Because this presence is no longer obvious. Agency closures follow one another and each municipality wonders when its turn will arrive. The announcement by the CEO of La Poste, Philippe Wahl, who was counting on a budget cut of 50 million in the fund which finances municipal postal agencies and relay points did not reassure anyone. So much so that Michel Barnier’s entourage confided to Monde that the economy is no longer relevant. But concerns remain…
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“Already we don’t have much here anymore, if they take away La Poste…” laments a regular at the Pique bistro in the heart of the magnificent village located at the foot of the Pyrenees. “There is a soul here, but it would be sad if such an important service disappeared in Cierp-Gaud,” explains Marie the owner as she serves the groups who gather on her sunny terrace. “It’s simple, they are cutting back on everything little by little over the years,” denounces a regular who lives in Fronsac not far away. He does not lose his temper: “Let them come and see here on the ground before making decisions that affect an entire population.”
“We fought and found a compromise”
If there is so much concern around the presence of La Poste in Cierp-Gaud, it is because the residents have already had to fight for the survival of the existing office. “In 2022, they wanted to set up a municipal postal agency,” says the mayor, Claude Guiard. “My predecessor agreed but I didn’t want the village postal agency to disappear.” The financial aid would not have been enough for the expenses incurred and above all the mayor heard the criticism from his constituents. “I organized a public meeting with the people of the town who had made a petition which received more than 700 signatures. They were totally against the disappearance of La Poste”, remembers Claude Guiard, “it is the last service public that we have in the town, so we fought and we found a compromise by reducing the opening hours of the office.” A victory hailed by all… But winning a battle does not mean that the war is won. And the concerns are still alive. Even if the mayor wants to be reassuring: “I had contact with La Poste about ten days ago and I was told that they wanted to meet me because there is a desire to keep the office open on the village.”
At the Pique bistro, solidarity remains essential in the face of potential bad news and the owner cannot help the elderly. “I am thinking especially of the veterans for whom the postal agency is a very important social connection.” And even if the office should not be threatened in the coming months, everyone is (all)… unanimous: The Post Office must remain in Cierp-Gaud.
