Inside France: Macron goes XL, baby blues and franglais fashion

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.

Going large

Starting the New Year with a bang in France we have a new government, new Prime Minister and an 'XL press conference' from the president.

Emmanuel Macron spent two and a half hours answering questions from journalists at the Elysée and, as ever, it was an impressive display from a president who is both eloquent and absolutely on top of the details of all aspects of government.

By the time the night-time conference drew to a close I was ready for bed, but Macron looked eager to keep going - he clearly loves a debate, as we recall from his eight-hour debate with a group of French academics back in 2018. 

Family planning

One phrase did stick out from the press conference réarmement démographique (demographic rearming) in other words, trying to boost France's falling birthrate. The phrase has attracted condemnation from some groups because of the long global history of government demographic policies being accompanied by repressive measures such as limits on the right to abortion and contraception or eugenics.

There's little to object to in the actual policies announced, however - expanded parental leave and a national strategy on infertility. Whether it actually contains anything more sinister remains to be seen, my own feeling is that the phrase was just a typical Macronian rhetorical flourish while announcing some fairly pedestrian policies. In the meantime, it's been a great excuse for Libération's cartoonist Coco to draw some willies . . .

Talking France

We were discussing all aspects of the new government and Macron's press conference with John Lichfield on the Talking France podcast, including the perennial question - is Macron really 'veering to the right'?

We're also chatting about our dream French retirement destinations (and the town that the French all want to move to), French restaurant etiquette, how private schools work in France and the country's most expensive roads. Listen here or on the link below. 

 

A la mode

And I was delighted to note that the franglais triumph that was rugby coach Ronan O'Gara's dressing room speech in La Rochelle has now been made into a T-shirt (modelled here by my partner who received one for Christmas).

In case you missed this genius speech, check out the video below and celebrate the achievements of all of us battling to learn French. 

 

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.