Talking France

This week we look at what France would be like in the hands of the far left and its firebrand presidential candidate Jean-Luc Melenchon. Plus we'll look at some of Mélénchon's plans that would impact foreign residents in France, especially those who are retired. More strikes and protests have been announced for November - we'll bring you the latest as well as what the government has an...

This week we'll get the latest on the strikes, protests, marches, clashes and mass use of tear gas that have clouded France in recent weeks and look set to continue as we head towards winter. We'll find out why it just might be easier to get a doctor's appointment in rural France from now on, but will it stay that way? We'll also find out where in France the locals are considered t...

Has calm returned to the streets of France? Can shopkeepers and store owners remove the wooden barricades and metal shutters? What further protests are planned? Will high school students peacefully return to the classrooms next week as the government and the president desperately hope? Or are we heading for weeks of unrest up until Christmas? We’ll try to answer these questions in this week’s epis...

In recent days the country has been hit by widespread looting, violent clashes between rioters and police, street protests and just scenes of chaos and conflict. And the fear is there’s more to come. Not just this weekend, but in the months ahead as we get closer to the presidential election next spring. Be ready for what's next in France: Listeners can join The Local France for €29.99 / year...

This week we’ll bring you up to date with what some of the French presidential candidates want to do with us foreigners - whether tax us more for working here or just keep us out altogether. We’ll also hear why the grand old Parti Socialiste won’t have a candidate in next year’s election for the first time since the start of the Fifth Republic in 1958. We’ll get the latest on the high school stude...

Welcome to a new episode of Talking France, a special episode it turns out, because we find ourselves in the midst of a new major protest movement in France. This one is being led by high school students, who are fed up with the state of the education system and fear they don’t have much future ahead of them. Their movement, which has seen lycees blockaded, is supported by students, parents, teach...

Up for discussion this week is the weather, will a town in rainy Brittany run out of water. What’s the situation like everywhere else? Will we all be forced to limit our showers to three minutes soon? We’ll get the latest analysis on French politics from whether the government can do anything to quell anger around fuel prices or will it all feed Marine Le Pen’s populist campaign and whether shocki...

Among the words on everyone’s lips this week in France is - petrol, well and diesel. Yes fuel prices have reached record high levels in France. We’ll get the latest on what the government is doing, where the shortages are and whether the crisis could lead to social unrest and even the return of les Gillets Jaunes - remember them? They could be back. We’ll also run you through the key numbers of th...

This week we dig into one of Marine Le Pen's contentious proposals and find out whether the far right leader would actually be able to favour French citizens over foreign national residents if she became president. We'll also find out why French schools are struggling to give students a good education and look at the strange story of a train derailment in rural Normandy that left dozens injured. W...

On the show this week we'll delve into the almighty squabble that ended with the Eiffel Tower closing this week after angry staff walked out. We’ll also look at the growing split in the French far right. Just everything was looking plain sailing for Marine Le Pen on her quest to take the Elysée Palace, could infighting and power struggles undermine her chances? Listeners of Talking France can take...

This week we look ahead to the 2027 presidential election which is edging closer. A new poll this week suggested there's only one winner, but could Marine Le Pen trip herself up before she gets over the line? We'll hear about her latest effort to win voters which has been described as "vile" by some and "populist grandstanding by others". We'll also find out whether the locals in Brittany, Normand...

Summer is thankfully almost over and September is upon us, which means it's time for a new series of Talking France. Thanks to you all for tuning in to this podcast, which is produced by the team at The Local France and is a must-listen - so they say - for anyone wanting to follow French news, keep up to date with the major changes to life in France and boost their knowledge of French language and...

You are listening to a special summer episode of Talking France podcast and it's a pretty solemn episode too given France is in the midst of unprecedented heatwaves, drought and devastating wildfires. We are recording this at the end of July to bring all you listeners up to date with what's happening in the country right now and look at what might be in store in August. Yep we are still weeks away...

In this week’s episode of Talking France we’ll look ahead to the holiday season in July and August and spell out exactly what you can expect in France this summer from the weather outlook and wildfire alerts to what will happen in French politics and what to expect if you’re travelling to or within France? Remember even though Talking France takes a break over the summer our team will still be cov...

Welcome to a new episode of Talking France. It’s our penultimate episode before we take a summer break and it’s a jam-packed one full of the latest news, talking points and flare ups from France. We’ll start with the fall out from the unprecedented and deadly heatwave that hit France in the second half of June. SPECIAL OFFER: Listeners can read The Local France for half price - (Introductory offer...

On this week's show we discuss the heat, yes France and the rest of Europe is in the grip of another brutal heatwave - and it's still only June. We'll look at the huge impact it's having on daily life in France and why the country isn't better prepared to deal with spells of extreme heat - given we know they are only going to become frequent and even hotter. And we’ll explain some important rules...

This week we’ll look at whether Emmanuel Macron can land any knock out blows for Europe as he welcomes global leaders including Donald Trump to France for what’s been dubbed as his swansong in the international arena. And we’ll have answers to two of the big questions visitors to Paris have about the French capital’s transport system, we’ll find out whether it’s true that France has more roundabou...

First up this week we'll look at how the killing of a young girl in south west France has sparked nationwide anger and protests and put the French governent under pressure to respond to a growing crisis around sexual violence towards children. We'll also look ahead to 2070 and find out what the French population will look like then, we'll also examine whether France really is home to half of the w...

On this week's episode we will discuss the trouble you can get into in France for being sexist after one man was fined 55,000 euros for an ungentlemanly outburst. We'll also find out why dramatic football victories in France end in scenes of violence, how the country is coming to terms with its involvement in the slave trade, but why it's unlikely the French government will be paying any reparatio...

As we recorded this episode, France is baking under a record-breaking May heatwave that has sadly proved deadly - at least seven people having died in incidents linked to the hot weather.  We’ll get the latest on the weather and find out if it’s a sign that summer will be insufferable in France this year.  In this week’s show we’ll also hear about how France’s most iconic car is making a...

This week we'll find out why it's all kicked off at the famous Cannes film festival. In one corner of the ring we have hundreds of French film stars, directors and industry staff and in the other corner we have the country's most controversial media tycoon - who we'll explain has his fingers on pretty much everything in France it seems. We'll also hear what property owners in France need to avoid...

This week we’ll find out why France might be about to ditch rent controls in cities including the capital Paris, how foreigners in France have been hit by outages to key French admin websites, the latest on the marathon race to become the next French president and what Emmanuel Macron has been doing with all his spare time these days. Plus we’ll bring you the story of a 16 million euro French chat...

This week we’ll hear about how France is under siege from mosquitoes and the new and old ways being used to fight back - including what you can do to keep them out of your garden. We’ll also find out about the parts in France where drivers caught using the mobile phones at the wheel will face stiff new punishments and hear about the parts of the country the French head to if they want good food. W...

On this week’s show we’ll find out why a story involving French prosecutors, a rabbit and the US tech billionaire and far right crusader Elon Musk made headlines in France. We’ll also find out why the rules for driving cars in cities and towns across France look set for a dramatic change and whether the country’s most notorious ring road could be transformed from one of the most polluted spots in...

In this week's show we'll find out why the rules around France's sacred May 1st public holiday have sparked a political row to the point where some lawmakers have accused the government ministers of - quote -  "pissing all over us".  We'll also hear why arguably France's most unique region wants independence, why pictures of far-right presidential favourite Jordan Bardella and his new gi...