Martin Lange / Photo credit: FRANCOIS LO PRESTI / AFP 08:46, November 19, 2023

On Monday, Economy Minister Bruno Le Maire will visit Pas-de-Calais, where he is expected to announce measures to support businesses affected by the floods. For many of them, the damage could amount to several million euros. This is particularly the case for SIB, a printing company located in Saint-Léonard.

After the floods in Pas-de-Calais, residents continue to see the damage. On Saturday, Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin, on a trip to Audruicq, near Calais, promised a specific package for the affected municipalities. On Monday, the Minister of the Economy, Bruno Le Maire, is expected in the Audomarois, around Saint-Omer. He is expected to announce measures to support the economic world, because companies have also suffered, such as SIB, a printing company located in Saint-Léonard, just on the banks of the Liane.

"Don't let us down"

Since November 2, the warehouse has experienced four floods. Boss Marc Leroy has just finished cleaning the last one. "We haven't yet been able to put an exact figure on the damage because we're just coming out of the flood, it's maybe between 10 and 20 million euros," he said. "We employ 150 people and today we have 140 people on furlough. There will be several months of inactivity of the company."

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These deadlines are incompressible because Marc Leroy doesn't even know if his machines will be able to work again. The arrival of the Minister of the Economy in the region is a godsend, even if, beyond emergency aid, the boss wants answers about the future. "If the industrial zone of La Liane has to be more or less abandoned because it presents significant risks, there is indeed compensation at that time to help us at least move, where perhaps find land. I hope so, because it is absolutely necessary to maintain employment. We are in a region where we are already not very fortunate in terms of employment. You absolutely must not let us down," insists the boss.

Marc Leroy is especially worried about his neighbours, these small businesses, which are sometimes very poorly insured. "In these situations, the smaller you are, the more you suffer," he said.