Notre Dame €1bn fund pits Paris against provinces
Up to 5,500 churches across France need urgent repairs yet have no funds. Macron must be wary of inciting gilets jaunes further over Notre Dame
In La-Roche-sur-Yon – a town in western France founded by Napoleon Bonaparte – locals can only dream of raising enough money to restore their most treasured landmark. The church of Saint Louis built in 1817 to honour the emperor needs €7m (£6.1m) to save its bells, belfries, and to install a fire alarm but a six-month appeal has raised little more than €1,000.
Four hours drive away in Paris, the fund for Notre Dame is more than €1bn and rising.