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PODCAST: France takes fight to social media and how the Clooneys became French

The Local France
The Local France - news@thelocal.fr
PODCAST: France takes fight to social media and how the Clooneys became French
Talking France is a free podcast from The Local

The Talking France podcast is back for its first 2026 episode with a look at the latest strikes and protests in the country, a proposed social media ban for under 15s and George Clooney's newly acquired French citizenship.

Host Ben McPartland is joined by The Local France's Emma Pearson and John Lichfield, along with a new member of the team, Franco-American journalist Emma Albright.

Starting the year with a wave of industrial action - doctors started a 10-day strike on Monday in protest at measures in the 2026 budget that change the way they work, while farmers and Louvre staff are restarting protests. 

You can find the Talking France podcast on Spotify or Apple, download here or listen on the link below.

 

A two-part bill aimed at banning social media for teens under the age of 15 as well as the use of cell phones in high schools, has been drafted by the government and will be examined early January. We look at the different reactions regarding these potential new measures. 

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George Clooney, his wife Amal Clooney and their two children became French over the Christmas holidays - but exactly how did they obtain their citizenship?

Finally, we ask French native-speaker Emma Albright to correct our French pronunciation as she guides us through a series of words and phrases for use about strikes.

Talking France is a free podcast made possible by the support of paying members of The Local - you can find out more about subscribing here.

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