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Simeon Mitropolitski is a Canadian analyst, of Bulgarian origin, and a former syndicated columnist with the Bulgarian News Agency (BTA). He is the author of several hundred articles dealing with hot political and economic topics, both national and international.

He was part of the first group of Bulgarian intellectuals and students that began the opposition movement that finally put an end to the communist regime in this country in 1989, and in 1996-1997 participated in international observation teams during the elections in several Balkan countries - Romania, Albania and Bulgaria.

In 2002 Simeon and his family moved from Bulgaria to Canada where they live now in Montreal, province of Quebec. Simeon is a Master of Political Science from McGill University and a B.A. of Political Science and History.

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I used to watch the French movie "Le gendarme de Saint-Tropez" (Saint-Tropez's policeman) starring Louis de Funes. As a movie it was a great fun, but here it isn't so important. It was produced in the 60's at the same Côte d`Azur. But then it wasn't looking like a millionaire's paradise, just like most of the country nowadays. So why not presume that in France within 30 or 40 years there will be many more spots for the real estate investors like Côte d`Azur?

Even the least developed region of France is full of historic artefacts, of churches built 700, 800 or more years ago. Each department center, even the smaller ones, has its own old buildings, erected 200-300 or more years ago. Such old urban areas were demolished in Paris in the middle of the 19th century. Some buildings witnessing the Middle Ages still exist in the capital city, but most of them have been erased. The old towns with their narrow streets were ideal for barricades so the French government decided to throw away this danger at least in Paris. In the other smaller towns, not so important for the power in place, the older structures were preserved for the people's pleasure.

The small French towns of 50,000 or even 100,000 are much more suitable for people whishing to escape from the busy centers and at the same time to remain closer to the modern infrastructures. To open the window in the morning and to scent the smell of the near bakery instead the smell of the nearest intersection. Perhaps this seems too idealistic, perhaps some people are so addicted to the big city that this tranquility will make them feel sick. For them the price should be an argument they can't refuse to accept because in the smaller towns the prices are several times below where they are in Paris and at the Côte d`Azur.

Recently I made a virtual visit to most of the departmental and the regional centers of France and at the end I wished I could be in most of them. Perhaps just a day or two in each of them, going from region to region throughout this magnificent country with toponimes, which sound so familiar to many of us. Some of the regions like Champagne invite us to the table, some like Limousin make us dream of luxury cars, some like Bourgogne put history books into our hands. The names of some cities and areas also have particular meaning for many of us. Go to your food store and you will find plenty of Dijon mustards. Go to a party and perhaps you'll be served Cognac among other aperitives.

The centralizing force of the French state has diminished the role played by the regions throughout the ages and today most of them can't compete with Paris, especially for the investors' money. The main tourists' attractions are in Paris, the big government with its thousands of loyal servants is also in Paris, the big money go to Paris because the capital's image is what makes the glory of France. Military regimes, revolutions, counterrevolutions, they all contributed to this glory. But don't forget that even today Paris and the millionaires' areas at the Mediterranean coast ins't the whole France. There are plenty of places in the French provinces to go, to admire and to live in beyond these two areas.

Perhaps the main reason why the investors aren't rushing to these new areas are the small returns even if the price levels are very attractive. In fact such investment won't make any substantial return in short run, but can make happy its holders 30 or 40 years from now.

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