France’s map might change to save money

France’s Prime Minister came up with a new proposal to reduce the number of the country’s administrative regions to half by 2017 in order to reduce bureaucracy and save money.

However, contradictory opinions have emerged since regions such as Provence, Burgundy, Normandy and Alsace are not only lines on a map but have a major historical and cultural importance.

A recent survey reveals that the people’s preferences are split in half: while 68% are in favor of the new administrative plan, 77% refuse to accept the disappearance of their own region.

French President, Francois Hollande, sustains this reform, although, in the past, he was known as a man afraid of unpopular cost-cutting reforms.

The idea to reduce the number of districts is not new but administrative officials failed to implement it in the past because they could not reach an agreement regarding the new map.

France is split into 22 territorial divisions, over 100 departments and 36,000 communes. The government wants to reduce that number to a maximum of 11 or 12 regions.