France/"A way of being a good citizen": the Roue, a local currency in circulation in the South of France

Created in 2011, the Roue is a complementary local currency used in four departments of the PACA region. Its enthusiasts praise it as a "citizen's" tool.

At the Day by Day bulk grocery store in downtown Gap, customers can of course pay for their groceries in euros... but also in Roue. This local currency, introduced in 2011, now circulates in four departments of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region: Hautes-Alpes, Alpes-de-Haute-Provence, Bouches-du-Rhône and Vaucluse.

"It's a currency that has to circulate. You can't deposit it in a bank, you can't speculate with it. It's a way of behaving like a good citizen," says Alain Dedianous, a store customer, as he holds out his 20 Roues bill.

Promoting the local economy

"One wheel = one euro", reminds grocery store manager Aurélie Paladinie. A fan of the concept, in addition to accepting local currency, she has decided to turn her business into a bureau de change. She even went to see neighboring shopkeepers to "try and get them on board".

"There's a creamery that's joined, a cheese maker, a delicatessen. It's nice to be able to tell customers that they can also spend their wheels in other shops", says Aurélie Paladinie with satisfaction.