Europe's news in English

COPY LINK

For members

WHAT CHANGES IN FRANCE

On the Agenda: What’s happening in France this week

From crunch time in pay negotiations for railway workers to seasonal festivals and the small matter of a football match, here's what is happening in France this week.

Published: 5 December 2022 08:42 CET

On the Agenda: What's happening in France this week

Photo by JEAN-CHRISTOPHE VERHAEGEN / AFP

Monday

Train disruption – there was major disruption over the weekend as train conductors and ticket inspectors walked out, leading to around half of all TGV services being cancelled. The strike ended on Sunday night, but there is expected to be significant knock-on disruption on Monday.

Tuesday

St Nicolas Day – this festival is a huge deal in Germany, but it’s also celebrated in the historic Alsace region of France. The festival involves parades in some towns, gifts for well-behaved children (and a visit from a scary figure with a whip for bad kids) and lots of gingerbread.

What you need to know about St Nicolas Day in France

Wednesday

Rail strike – unions have issued a provisional strike notice for Wednesday, ahead of a crunch day of talks on Thursday in the ongoing pay negotiations for SNCF workers.

Thursday

Railway pay negotiations – the key meeting between bosses and unions representing French rail workers. Depending on how these talks go, there could be further strike action over the Christmas and New Year weekends.

Fête des lumières – the Lyon festival of lights begins on Thursday and runs until Sunday. The festival is the biggest and most famous of the many light festivals that take place in France through December.

What you need to know about the Lyon festival of lights

Friday

Right to die – launch of the citizen convention looking at France’s right to die laws. This is the beginning of a public consultation looking at the question of whether France should relax its laws on assisted suicide. It comes after the national Ethics Committee for Health and Life Sciences issued a positive response on the question of assisted suicide.

Saturday

France v England – France take on England in the quarter finals of the men’s football World Cup in Qatar.

Member comments

Log in here to leave a comment.

Become a Member to leave a comment.

On the Agenda: What’s happening in France this week

Monday

Paris attack – inquiries continue into the terror attack in Paris over the weekend in which a German tourist died and two others – including a British tourists – were injured. The suspected attacker, who swore allegiance to Islamic State in a video, is in custody and will be questioned by investigators on Monday.

Islamic State attack in Paris: What we know so far

Météo France strike – Three unions representing workers, including forecasters, at France’s national weather service Météo France have called a strike starting on Monday. Unions called for industrial action over staff shortages, as well as a drop in quality of work following the recent rolling out of the ‘3P Programme’ that is meant to offer automatic forecast data. Forecasters and other staff working with 3P say it is “not sufficiently robust” and gives “aberrant results”. The strike could run until January 2024.

Tuesday

National day of remembrance – December 5th marks a national day of homage to those who died for France in the Algerian war, as well as during fighting in Morocco and Tunisia. It also pays tribute to the missing and civilians who were killed.

Wednesday

Saint Nicolas Day – In Germany the festival of St Nicolas (December 6th) is a big deal and for historic reasons certain parts of France celebrate it too. It’s not a public holiday but it is a day of celebration with small presents for children, parades in some towns and special gingerbread for everyone.

READ MORE: Saint Nicolas: The festival celebrated in parts of France on December 6th?

Deadline to correct tax declarations – If you made any mistakes – or noticed unintentional omissions – you can correct your French tax declaration. However, this is only available until midnight on Wednesday, December 6th. In order to do so, you must log onto your personal space on Impots.Gouv.Fr. You cannot change your address or marital status, however.

How to correct your 2023 French tax declaration

Alliance Française meet and greet – If you are interested in taking a French course or workshop with Alliance Française, the Paris team will host an online Q&A on Wednesday at 4pm. More info here.

READ MORE: How to find affordable language classes in France

Thursday

Fête des Lumières – The festival of light in Lyon is a magnificent event – running between Thursday and Sunday, visitors can enjoy enchanting walks in an ever-changing sea of light and sound – including large projections over some of the city’s most beautiful monuments.

READ MORE: 10 of the best winter festivals in France

Start of Hanukkah – The Jewish festival begins at sundown on Thursday, December 7th and ending the evening of Friday, December 15th.

Île-de-France Mobilités vote – The board for the Paris region public transport network (Île de France Mobilités) will vote on proposed changes like the yearly revaluation of the monthly Navigo pass, expected to increase to €86.40 in 2024 – and the increase in ticket prices during the 2024 Olympic Games.

Friday

Telethon 2023 – Each year, the France Télévisions channels broadcast a ‘telethon’ throughout the country to raise funds for a specific charity or cause. This year, the telethon will run from December 8th and 9th, and it will raise money for genetic diseases, including muscular dystrophy. More info here.

Mont Saint-Michel Christmas celebrations – Why not visit one of France’s most iconic monuments during the winter? From lights to workshops and exhibits, the Mont Saint-Michel foundation will run its annual Christmas celebration for three days – from Friday to Sunday.

READ MORE: 5 things to know about France’s Mont Saint-Michel

Url copied to clipboard!