Direction the Fensch Valley, in Moselle, cradle of the steel industry. Today, the iron mines are closed and the blast furnaces are off.
In Knutange, we met Jordan, 25 years old. He works in car sales. Like many other cities, here is a dormitory city: we go there to sleep only or almost. The rest, work, shopping and outings, it’s in Luxembourg that it happens.
“It’s dead, everything is closed. There’s nothing left here except cafes and kebabs”
Jordan, 25 years oldat franceinfo
“The only place where it really lives is Metz. All those who have no money come here because we have Luxembourg next door and it pays well.” In Lorraine, 80,000 workers cross the border every day to work in Luxembourg. “We have many more advantages: diesel, cigarettes, we have everything. In France, they tax us too much. In Luxembourg, the minimum wage is 2,100 euros.“
Jordan has already tried to work in Lorraine in factories of ThyssenKrupp. “It’s chain work, it’s always the same thing. Nobody wants to do that.“Later, Jordan plans to move to Portugal, where part of his family is from.”We’re going to carve. The sun is better than the rain but you have to make money before you go.“
“Politics doesn’t interest me. I don’t even have a voter’s card.”
Jordan, 25 years oldat franceinfo
Jordan spends most of his time across the border in Luxembourg. This is partly why, according to him, French politics does not interest him. He has never voted and does not have an electoral card. “I think it’s useless. For me, they are the same and they do nothing essential to my life. It doesn’t change my life to have a president. I’m in France to sleep, I’m not interested in wasting my time going to vote.“