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WHAT CHANGES IN FRANCE

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

From end of the Christmas holidays to rail strikes and the delicious Galette des Rois cakes you'll get to enjoy on Friday, here's what is happening in France this week.

Published: 2 January 2023 08:57 CET
On the Agenda: What’s happening in France this week
(Photo by JACQUES DEMARTHON / AFP)

January 1st marks the day when a host of new laws come into place, plus changes to financial support for households dealing with rising prices.

What changes in January 2023 

Monday

Back to work – With New Year’s Eve and Day falling over a weekend, many people will be heading back into the office on Monday, as it is not a public holiday. However, the holidays are not yet over for France’s parliament. Lawmakers will reconvene next week.

Big day for travel – With families coming home the day before schools start up again and workers heading back into the office, the roads are expected to be busier than usual in France. The Paris region and much of eastern France will be “Orange” – indicating “heavy traffic conditions” according to the traffic watchdog Bison Futé. 

Strikes in the Bordeaux area – Rail transport in Bordeaux and the surrounding region is likely to be disrupted, as Monday marks the last day of a local transport strike. 

Doctors strike – Medecines généralistes (GPs or family doctors) take another week of strike action this week in their ongoing call for more investment in community healthcare. The strike runs from Monday to Sunday inclusive.

If you need non-urgent medical care during this time, here are your options.  

Tuesday

Back to school –  Schoolchildren across France will be returning to the classroom after Christmas break on Tuesday.

Strike action impacting the Eurostar – For those travelling to or from the United Kingdom on Tuesday, Eurostar has warned that travel may be disrupted on January 3rd, 4th, 6th, and 7th due to an RMT strike involving “Network Rail and 14 train companies in the UK.” Similar strike action before Christmas saw some services cancelled but most running as normal. You can find more information here.

Friday

Epiphany – This is not a public holiday in France (unlike neighbouring Spain where they go mad for the Three Kings), but the day is marked with a special cake – the Galette des rois – which has a lot of fun and complicated rituals for consumption.

READ ALSO Everything you need to know about Galette des rois

Sunday

Last day of the Lumières en Seine festival – If you missed Lyon’s light festival this winter, you can still make it to one in Paris. The Lumières en Seine is held in the Parc de Sainte-Cloud, in the Bois de Boulogne just to the west of the city, and it runs until January 8th. The park is decked out in beautiful light displays for a night-time wander. Tickets are €20.

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WHAT CHANGES IN FRANCE

What changes in France in May 2024

From four public holidays to the Olympic torch relay and tax deadlines - here's what is happening in France in May.

Published: 23 April 2024 08:07 CEST
What changes in France in May 2024

Public Holidays

There are several public holidays in the month of May – this year, all four of them fall on weekdays, meaning workers can benefit from plenty of time off.

The first is International Worker’s Day, or May Day, which is on Wednesday, May 1st. Expect trade union demonstrations and marches and the giving of the lucky lily-of-the-valley flowers.

The other public holidays are Wednesday, May 8th (Victory in Europe Day), Thursday, May 9th (Ascension), and Monday, May 20th (Whit Monday, or lundi de Pentecôte) – although Pentecost is for some workers only. 

May 8th often involves military parades and remembrance events in towns and cities around France. This year will mark the 79th anniversary of the end of the war.

Elections deadline

If you are eligible to vote in the European elections, you should verify you are properly registered. May 1st is the deadline for online registrations, while May 3rd is the deadline for those sent by the post.

READ MORE: How to register in France to vote in the 2024 European elections

The elections themselves are in June.

Tax Deadlines

May also brings the first deadlines for the annual tax declaration – compulsory for almost everyone in France.

If you are unable to file the declaration online, you can use a paper declaration. This must be mailed by May 20th.

For the online declarations, you have until May 23rd (at 11.59pm) if you live in the départements 1 to 19, and until May 30th for the départements from 20 to 54. For the remaining départements, you have until June 6th at midnight.

READ MORE: The bumper French tax guide for 2024

Anniversaries

There are several anniversaries this May 2024 – from May 4th (the 100th anniversary of the 1924 Paris Olympic Games) to May 30th (the 30th anniversary of the opening of the Channel Tunnel).

Increased medical costs

In January, the French government announced plans to double two healthcare expenses, the franchise médicale and the participation forfaitaire. The franchise médicale was already increased at the start of April, but the participation forfaitaire will increase from a flat rate of €1 to between €2-3 starting on May 15th. 

These are the small healthcare costs for things like prescriptions, appointments and travel to and from healthcare visits that are not reimbursed by the state.

READ MORE: Why medical costs are rising in France in 2024

Olympics events

The Olympic torch has already started its journey from Greece, and will arrive in Marseille on May 8th before beginning its relay around France. You can see the route here.

For Paris residents, if you live within the area closest to the Seine river, close to where the Opening Ceremony will be hosted, then you will need to register with a QR code for security purposes. The platform to do so will open on May 10th.

READ MORE: Which areas will be closed in Paris during the Olympics?

Assisted dying legislation

French President Emmanuel Macron announced in March that a bill on assisted dying will be presented to parliament before the summer.

Parliament is set to start examining it on May 27th. It follows a lengthy consultation via a citizens’ council of 184 French citizens, who came up with a series of measures to legalise “active assistance to dying”.

European night of Museums 

On Saturday, May 18th many museums will keep their doors open – for free – all night long as part of the “European night of museums”. This year will mark the 20th edition of the event since its launch in 2005. Several Paris museums take part, outside of Paris you can find more information on the website for your local town hall. For Paris, more information here.

The Cannes Film Festival 

The 77th edition of the Cannes film festival will take place from May 14th to 25th at the Palais des festivals et des congrès in Cannes. 

Eurovision 

You can watch France compete in the Eurovision song contest in Sweden this year. The semi-finals are set for May 7th and May 9th (although France goes straight through to the finals every year as one of the ‘big five’ who fund the contest). The final is on Saturday, May 11th. France will be represented by the artist Slimane. 

READ MORE: 5 things to know about France’s 2024 Eurovision song

Sports

The final of the Coupe de France football tournament is on May 25th, with the time and location TBD.

The French Open (Roland-Garros) tennis tournament will also take place in May – starting on Sunday, May 26th and going until June 9th.

Mother’s Day and Neighbour’s Day

There are a couple of important days you won’t want to miss this May.

Mother’s Day in France will fall on May 26th, though if your mother is in the UK you may have already missed it (it was on March 10th). For Americans, Mother’s Day always falls on the second Sunday of May – so be sure to mark May 12th in your calendar.

Then there is also Neighbour’s Day, or the Fête des Voisins, which is the perfect opportunity to say hello to your neighbours. This year it will take place on May 31st. 

READ MORE: Fête des Voisins: All you need to know about ‘neighbours day’ in France

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