Inside France: Apps, cuddles and tough decisions for French unionists
From state visits to new apps, the 'crunch day' for pension strikes and French regional stereotypes, our weekly newsletter Inside France looks at what we have been talking about this week.
Inside France is our weekly look at some of the news, talking points and gossip in France that you might not have heard about. It’s published each Saturday and members can receive it directly to their inbox, by going to their newsletter preferences or adding their email to the sign-up box in this article.
Le crunch
Will Saturday be the crunch day for pension strikes? It's something that we discuss with politics expert John Lichfield in our latest Talking France episode, and is the question that many in France are asking right now.
The one-day strikes are gradually becoming less and less effective (with nothing like the disruption seen in 2019) and unions are facing a tough decision; keep on with the current tactics that appear to be fading or go 'all out' and risk alienating the public?
Listen here or on the link below.
Cuddles
The purpose of his visit was of course deadly serious and the background tragic, but one side note of Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky's visit to Paris was seeing two of the greatest huggers on the world stage in action.
Emmanuel Macron, as we know, is a notably tactile guy when meeting fellow world leaders or members of the public, but Zelensky is also a great hugger - witness his embrace of a Ukrainian journalist in London.
Seeing the two of them together performing a three-stage hug really is like watching Nadal and Djokovic or Muhammed Ali and Sonny Liston.
Hommage à l’Ukraine et à son peuple.
Hommage à toi, cher Volodymyr, pour ton courage et ton engagement. pic.twitter.com/6sN2iVUWrl
— Emmanuel Macron (@EmmanuelMacron) February 9, 2023
There's a hack for that
For many outside France, the notion persists that this is still the country of paper forms, rubber stamps and old-fashioned admin. While the bureaucracy is undoubtedly still a thing, it's really no longer the case that France is an old-fashioned paper-based society.
A lot of the drive towards modernisation and digitalisation comes from the Macron government and Macron's stated aim to make France 'the start-up nation'. So it seemed to me a particularly Macronist flourish for transport minister Clément Beaune to announce plans for a nationwide travel app/card via a 'hackathon'.
Whatever format it eventually takes, it sounds extremely practical to have a single app or card that will allow you to buy Paris Metro tickets, train tickets, Bordeaux tram tickets, Brittany bus tickets etc all in the same place.
Italian style
Speaking of trains, I still love a French TGV but I recently discovered that Italian high speed trains are even better (the seats are bigger and they bring you round espresso and little biscuits shaped like a heart if you have a first class ticket).
Breakfast in Paris, dinner in Rome and some beautiful Alpine scenery in between - ♥️TGV 🚄
(Also, whisper it but 🇮🇹 trains are even better than 🇫🇷 ones) pic.twitter.com/eicwdHdtYD
— Emma Pearson (@LocalFR_Emma) February 4, 2023
Map of the week
They may complain that their reputation as stubborn, miserable drunks is unfair (and I've met some entirely delightful and very sober Bretons) but the people of Brittany didn't help dispel their reputation as heavy drinkers with their responses to this survey.
Which alcohol do you prefer?
Brittany: Yes pic.twitter.com/ry88tuNKdt
— François Valentin (@Valen10Francois) January 31, 2023
French regional stereotypes: Grumpy Parisians and drunk northerners
Inside France is our weekly look at some of the news, talking points and gossip in France that you might not have heard about. It’s published each Saturday and members can receive it directly to their inbox, by going to their newsletter preferences or adding their email to the sign-up box in this article.
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Inside France is our weekly look at some of the news, talking points and gossip in France that you might not have heard about. It’s published each Saturday and members can receive it directly to their inbox, by going to their newsletter preferences or adding their email to the sign-up box in this article.
Le crunch
Will Saturday be the crunch day for pension strikes? It's something that we discuss with politics expert John Lichfield in our latest Talking France episode, and is the question that many in France are asking right now.
The one-day strikes are gradually becoming less and less effective (with nothing like the disruption seen in 2019) and unions are facing a tough decision; keep on with the current tactics that appear to be fading or go 'all out' and risk alienating the public?
Listen here or on the link below.
Cuddles
The purpose of his visit was of course deadly serious and the background tragic, but one side note of Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky's visit to Paris was seeing two of the greatest huggers on the world stage in action.
Emmanuel Macron, as we know, is a notably tactile guy when meeting fellow world leaders or members of the public, but Zelensky is also a great hugger - witness his embrace of a Ukrainian journalist in London.
Seeing the two of them together performing a three-stage hug really is like watching Nadal and Djokovic or Muhammed Ali and Sonny Liston.
Hommage à l’Ukraine et à son peuple.
— Emmanuel Macron (@EmmanuelMacron) February 9, 2023
Hommage à toi, cher Volodymyr, pour ton courage et ton engagement. pic.twitter.com/6sN2iVUWrl
There's a hack for that
For many outside France, the notion persists that this is still the country of paper forms, rubber stamps and old-fashioned admin. While the bureaucracy is undoubtedly still a thing, it's really no longer the case that France is an old-fashioned paper-based society.
A lot of the drive towards modernisation and digitalisation comes from the Macron government and Macron's stated aim to make France 'the start-up nation'. So it seemed to me a particularly Macronist flourish for transport minister Clément Beaune to announce plans for a nationwide travel app/card via a 'hackathon'.
Whatever format it eventually takes, it sounds extremely practical to have a single app or card that will allow you to buy Paris Metro tickets, train tickets, Bordeaux tram tickets, Brittany bus tickets etc all in the same place.
Italian style
Speaking of trains, I still love a French TGV but I recently discovered that Italian high speed trains are even better (the seats are bigger and they bring you round espresso and little biscuits shaped like a heart if you have a first class ticket).
Breakfast in Paris, dinner in Rome and some beautiful Alpine scenery in between - ♥️TGV 🚄
— Emma Pearson (@LocalFR_Emma) February 4, 2023
(Also, whisper it but 🇮🇹 trains are even better than 🇫🇷 ones) pic.twitter.com/eicwdHdtYD
Map of the week
They may complain that their reputation as stubborn, miserable drunks is unfair (and I've met some entirely delightful and very sober Bretons) but the people of Brittany didn't help dispel their reputation as heavy drinkers with their responses to this survey.
Which alcohol do you prefer?
— François Valentin (@Valen10Francois) January 31, 2023
Brittany: Yes pic.twitter.com/ry88tuNKdt
French regional stereotypes: Grumpy Parisians and drunk northerners
Inside France is our weekly look at some of the news, talking points and gossip in France that you might not have heard about. It’s published each Saturday and members can receive it directly to their inbox, by going to their newsletter preferences or adding their email to the sign-up box in this article.
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