(English: Brexit Street) is a circuitous road in Beaucaire,

Occitanie Occitanie may refer to: *Occitania, a region in southern France called ''Occitanie'' in French *Occitania (administrative region) Occitania ( ; french: Occitanie ; oc, Occitània ; ca, Occitània ) is the southernmost administrative region of ...

, France. It was named after Brexit in 2016 by the town's mayor as a tribute to the United Kingdom following their vote to leave the European Union in the

2016 United Kingdom European Union membership referendum The United Kingdom European Union membership referendum, commonly referred to as the EU referendum or the Brexit referendum, took place on 23 June 2016 in the United Kingdom (UK) and Gibraltar to ask the electorate whether the country shoul ...

History

The road that would become ''Rue du Brexit'' in Beaucaire was previously unnamed. It is a circuitous road on an industrial estate that leaves ''Rue

Robert Schuman Jean-Baptiste Nicolas Robert Schuman (; 29 June 18864 September 1963) was a Luxembourg-born French statesman. Schuman was a Christian Democrat (Popular Republican Movement) political thinker and activist. Twice Prime Minister of France, a ref ...

'' (named for a founder of the

European Economic Community The European Economic Community (EEC) was a regional organization created by the Treaty of Rome of 1957,Today the largely rewritten treaty continues in force as the ''Treaty on the functioning of the European Union'', as renamed by the Lisb ...

) and rejoins it some later. In 2016, following the United Kingdom's vote to leave the European Union the

Front National The National Rally (french: Rassemblement National, ; RN), until 2018 known as the National Front (french: link=no, Front National, ; FN), is a far-rightAbridged list of reliable sources that refer to National Rally as far-right: Academic: ...

mayor of Beaucaire

Julien Sanchez Julien Sanchez (born 19 October 1983 in Argenteuil) is a French politician. A member of the National Front since 2000, he has been its spokesperson since 2017. He is also mayor of Beaucaire (Gard) and president of the Rassemblement national ...

, decided to name the road ''Rue du Brexit'' as a "homage to the decision of the sovereign British people". Sanchez also justified Rue du Brexit as he said the then unnamed road needed a title to assist emergency services with location. The motion for the naming was approved by Beaucaire council by a 29–9 vote.

Reaction

Reaction to the new street name was mixed worldwide. Leave.EU which campaigned for the UK to leave during the referendum called it "A fine choice!". Sanchez revealed to French radio that he had received several messages of support from the UK, some of which he said were from Members of Parliament. However, criticism was leveled at it for the location and direction with the American '' Washington Post'' calling it "an ugly, dead-end road". Some of the local residents of Beaucaire also criticised Sanchez for using an English word for a French street. Some newspapers also alleged it was done as a political reminder to French voters of the promise to hold a French referendum on European Union membership if the Front National leader

Marine Le Pen Marion Anne Perrine "Marine" Le Pen (; born 5 August 1968) is a French lawyer and politician who ran for the French presidency in 2012, 2017, and 2022. A member of the National Rally (RN; previously the National Front, FN), she served as its pre ...

won the

2017 French presidential election The 2017 French presidential election was held on 23 April and 7 May 2017. As no candidate won a majority in the first round, a runoff was held between the top two candidates, Emmanuel Macron of En Marche! (EM) and Marine Le Pen of the Nationa ...

References

{{Brexit topics Streets in France Brexit 2016 establishments in France Beaucaire, Gard

History

Reaction

See also

References