Inside France: Farmers, the far-right and fabulous French puns
From the gutting of France's new immigration law and what it all means for foreigners living here, via the fury of French farmers and some great French films and puns, our weekly newsletter Inside France looks at what we have been talking about in France 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.
It's been a dramatic week in France with farmers blockading the roads and the new immigration law being virtually disembowelled by the country's highest constitutional authority.
Immigration law
As expected the Conseil Constitutionnel rejected many of the more high-profile additions to France's new immigration law, including limits on benefits, family reunification and citizenship for foreigners.
READ ALSO What changes for foreigners in France under the new immigration law?
What has passed is much closer to the government's original, significantly less right-wing, bill. The far-right are not happy, of course, with Rassemblement National leader Jordan Bardella describing the ruling as "coup by the judges, with the backing of the president".
His point is nonsense, of course - there was no demographic mandate for the extra amendments that were added, they came about due to political horse-trading with no consultation whatsoever with 'the people'. Marine Le Pen stood for president in 2022 on a platform including similar measures, and the people decided against them.
But we know from other countries around the world that populists attacking judges and the rule of law while framing themselves as 'the voice of the people' can be terrifyingly effective.
On a brighter note, I was touched to see thousands of French people turn out to protest against the nastier aspects of the proposed law - even though they would have had no effect on the daily lives of most French citizens. Meanwhile many local mayors, including Paris mayor Anne Hidalgo had said they would simply refuse to apply new benefit laws, and would continue to help people in need without checking their nationality first.
View this post on Instagram
Farmer fury
French farmers have this week been demonstrating that if you have enough tractors and heavy agricultural machinery (plus some manure) you don't need many people to bring the country to a halt.
The government, traditionally wary of the power of the agriculture lobby, has been quick to negotiate and the interior minister reportedly ordered the riot police to practice 'light touch policing' of the demos - not a sentence that you hear often in France.
Le feu devant la préfecture de Lot-et-Garonne #agen #AgriculteursEnColere pic.twitter.com/rJ8RxPT37w
— Elodie Viguier (@elodieviguier) January 24, 2024
Farmers have real and legitimate grievances and agriculture is in something of a crisis - two fifths of farmers earn under €4,500 a year and over half of French farmers are aged 50 plus.
OPINION French farmers have legitimate grievances, but it's not all the fault of the EU
All in all France's biggest agriculture event - the Salon de l'agriculture in Paris which starts next month - is predicted to be lively, even more than it usually is. If you haven't been I really recommend it as a great day out with prize-winning cattle, lots of free cheese tasters and the chance to party with French farmers.
5 things to know about France's most famous farm show
Talking France
We are of course discussing the farmers' protests and digging a little deeper into their grievances on the Talking France podcast - as well as chatting about France's 'forgotten département', why Macron's baby plans have sparked a war of words and whether French toast, French horns and French letters are really French at all. Listen here or on the link below.
Pun of the week
French pun of the week goes to daily newspaper Libération, which managed to combine two big talking points into one headline.
Anatomie d'une lutte (anatomy of a struggle) references the farmers' protests, but also puns on the French film Anatomie d'une chute (Anatomy of a Fall) which was this week nominated for five Oscars, a rare achievement for a film that's not in English.
Agriculteurs : anatomie d'une lutte
C'est la une de @Libe ce mercredi
Lire : https://t.co/nj2k4mQp7h pic.twitter.com/I6BITRlFxg
— Libération (@libe) January 23, 2024
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.
It's been a dramatic week in France with farmers blockading the roads and the new immigration law being virtually disembowelled by the country's highest constitutional authority.
Immigration law
As expected the Conseil Constitutionnel rejected many of the more high-profile additions to France's new immigration law, including limits on benefits, family reunification and citizenship for foreigners.
READ ALSO What changes for foreigners in France under the new immigration law?
What has passed is much closer to the government's original, significantly less right-wing, bill. The far-right are not happy, of course, with Rassemblement National leader Jordan Bardella describing the ruling as "coup by the judges, with the backing of the president".
His point is nonsense, of course - there was no demographic mandate for the extra amendments that were added, they came about due to political horse-trading with no consultation whatsoever with 'the people'. Marine Le Pen stood for president in 2022 on a platform including similar measures, and the people decided against them.
But we know from other countries around the world that populists attacking judges and the rule of law while framing themselves as 'the voice of the people' can be terrifyingly effective.
On a brighter note, I was touched to see thousands of French people turn out to protest against the nastier aspects of the proposed law - even though they would have had no effect on the daily lives of most French citizens. Meanwhile many local mayors, including Paris mayor Anne Hidalgo had said they would simply refuse to apply new benefit laws, and would continue to help people in need without checking their nationality first.
View this post on Instagram
Farmer fury
French farmers have this week been demonstrating that if you have enough tractors and heavy agricultural machinery (plus some manure) you don't need many people to bring the country to a halt.
The government, traditionally wary of the power of the agriculture lobby, has been quick to negotiate and the interior minister reportedly ordered the riot police to practice 'light touch policing' of the demos - not a sentence that you hear often in France.
Le feu devant la préfecture de Lot-et-Garonne #agen #AgriculteursEnColere pic.twitter.com/rJ8RxPT37w
— Elodie Viguier (@elodieviguier) January 24, 2024
Farmers have real and legitimate grievances and agriculture is in something of a crisis - two fifths of farmers earn under €4,500 a year and over half of French farmers are aged 50 plus.
OPINION French farmers have legitimate grievances, but it's not all the fault of the EU
All in all France's biggest agriculture event - the Salon de l'agriculture in Paris which starts next month - is predicted to be lively, even more than it usually is. If you haven't been I really recommend it as a great day out with prize-winning cattle, lots of free cheese tasters and the chance to party with French farmers.
5 things to know about France's most famous farm show
Talking France
We are of course discussing the farmers' protests and digging a little deeper into their grievances on the Talking France podcast - as well as chatting about France's 'forgotten département', why Macron's baby plans have sparked a war of words and whether French toast, French horns and French letters are really French at all. Listen here or on the link below.
Pun of the week
French pun of the week goes to daily newspaper Libération, which managed to combine two big talking points into one headline.
Anatomie d'une lutte (anatomy of a struggle) references the farmers' protests, but also puns on the French film Anatomie d'une chute (Anatomy of a Fall) which was this week nominated for five Oscars, a rare achievement for a film that's not in English.
Agriculteurs : anatomie d'une lutte
— Libération (@libe) January 23, 2024
C'est la une de @Libe ce mercredi
Lire : https://t.co/nj2k4mQp7h pic.twitter.com/I6BITRlFxg
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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