Author: RIPESS Europe

The First European Meeting of Local Currencies – Bordeaux, 27–28 October 2025

The first European Meeting of Local Currencies (REML 2025) in Bordeaux marked a milestone for Mouvement Sol and the broader movement of citizen-led monetary initiatives. Co-organized with the RTES, the City of Bordeaux, and La Gemme—the local currency of Gironde—the event gathered more than 120 participants from 15 countries, uniting local currencies, social economy actors, researchers, and local authorities around a shared vision: making money a democratic, ecological, and social tool for territorial transition.

End October 2025 the first European meeting on local currencies took place in Bordeaux, France. RIPESS Europe participated in the co-organisation of the meetings which strongly tied the creation of local currencies to the working towards a sustainable future and which as such also drew on the Solidarity Economy movement in Europe. At the meetings Jason Nardi spoke in a workshop on advocacy and building the European connections with SSE ecosystems and territories, whilst Ruby van der Wekken shared on the experiences of community currency Helsinki Timebank and pointed to the importance of the development of complementary currency charters tying them explicitly to solidarity economy building. Together with adjoining actors RIPESS member ‘Sol Movement’ is set to continue the process in times to come.

Over two intensive days, participants explored the diversity and vitality of local currency initiatives across Europe—from the Chiemgauer in Germany with its Climate Bonus, to Italy’s Sardex, which now connects 3,500 businesses through €70 million in annual transactions. The Eusko in the Basque Country, and even Brazil’s Mumbuça, which supports microcredit in working-class neighborhoods, offered vivid examples of how alternative currencies strengthen real economies and local ties.

The meeting underscored a collective ambition: to deepen European cooperation, share knowledge, and build a common advocacy platform. Workshops delved into practical challenges such as sustainable economic models, digitalization, national networks, and the role of local currencies in ecological and social transitions. As Patrick Viveret reminded participants, “Currency is a democratic and ecological tool before it is an economic one.”

A closing roundtable brought together figures like Timothée Duverger (University of Bordeaux), Maxime Baduel (Ministerial Delegate for the SSE), Mahel Coppey (RTES), and Sarah de Heusch (Social Economy Europe). Their core message was clear: local currencies help weave connections between territories, institutions, and citizens, reinforcing resilience and solidarity in the face of global crises.

From these lively exchanges emerged a shared conviction—local currencies are far from marginal. They are catalysts for regional cooperation and tangible instruments for an economy rooted in fairness and sustainability. As Dante Edme-Sanjurjo, Co-President of Mouvement Sol, concluded: “This meeting is not an end, but a beginning.” The movement will now launch an international dialogue platform to continue collaboration and innovation at the European and global levels.
The REML 2025 affirmed that another way of circulating value is possible—and already underway across Europe.
For more information visit Mouvement Sol’s website.