France is yet again in turmoil after last week's vote by a fractious National Assembly to reject an important part of next year's budget. And the country is now in economic recession. Leading analyst Gerald Olivier reckons there can be no credible plan for a way out, so long as there can be no proper government without an effective majority. And yet, when Emmanuel Macron became … [Read more...] about Les enfants de la patrie – but the enduring trap of populism is not unique to France
France
Nanterre and the suburbs: the lid comes off
Riots broke out this week in Nanterre, a suburb of Paris, following the lethal police shooting of a 17-year-old boy named as Nahel M. An investigation into his death is continuing but the situation has already triggered protest and anger well beyond (with 1300+ arrests). Whatever the investigation concludes, the incident forms part of a complex, deep-rooted problem. It raises … [Read more...] about Nanterre and the suburbs: the lid comes off
Postcard from anti-vax France
‘Thanks to vaccines, the end of the crisis is on the horizon.’ No, that’s not a bullish Boris Johnson speaking but French president Emmanuel Macron. Why, then, is France entering its fourth national lockdown just as the UK, along with a more cautious Scotland, takes wary steps towards what Johnson calls ‘a semblance of normal life’? According to France 24: “The EU's troubled … [Read more...] about Postcard from anti-vax France
Confiné en France
I am WFF right now - Working From France. Coming over here for the last chunk of 2020 was a personal Brexit protest. Working and living here has always been a dream of mine - but my French was never good enough to get a job. So, it seems ironic that, just as this has become a reality because of completely remote working, the possibility is being taken … [Read more...] about Confiné en France