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WHAT CHANGES IN FRANCE

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

From new drought measures to the start of the fuel price cap and the Salon de l'Agriculture, here's what is happening in France this week.

On the Agenda: What's happening in France this week?
Petrol nozzles at a gas station in France. (Photo by Valentine CHAPUIS / AFP)

Monday

Drought measures – After France beat previous winter drought records, with 32 consecutive days without any significant rain – Environment Minister, Christophe Béchu, announced plans to bring together regional authorities from across France on Monday to announce “soft” water restriction measures. 

School holidays – Students in Zone B will go back to school on Monday after their two weeks of winter holidays, while those in zone C (including Paris, Montpellier and Toulouse) start the second week of holidays.

Salon de l’agriculture visit – Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne will visit the Paris farm show, after Emmanuel Macron went on Saturday. Also attending on Monday is Les Républicains leader Eric Ciotti – a visit to the show is a must for any politician with ambition, so expect to see most party leaders and hopefuls attend before the show ends on Sunday.

Nupes on pensions – La Nupes, the parliamentary alliance of left-wing parties, will hold a meeting in Amiens discussing their continued opposition to proposed pension reforms. They will hold a similar meeting in Strasbourg on Wednesday. 

Tuesday

Fuel allowance – The deadline to apply for the fuel allowance for motorists on low-incomes was previously set for this day, but it has been extended through the end of March.

READ MORE: How to claim the €100 fuel aid for motorists in France

Nuclear protest – employees of France’s nuclear safety regulator will demonstrate in Paris against the government’s proposed pension reforms.

Wednesday

TotalEnergies fuel cap – Fuel cap of €1.99 per litre to be applied at all TotalEnergies stations across France, and it will stay in place until the end of 2023. It was first applied to those on autoroutes (freeways) on February 25th. 

READ MORE: Fuel to be capped at €1.99 per litre at Total service stations in France

Cold calls – New rules come into force on March 1st, limiting the hours in which canvassing calls can be made (no calls at weekends, lunchtime, or after 8pm), and on the number of times businesses can call. Basically, if they call, tell them you don’t want to be canvassed, and they will have to wait two months before trying again. 

Thursday

Senate takes on pension reform – France’s Senate will begin to debate the controversial pension reform bill. The senators will have a deadline of 15 days to vote on the bill – meaning by midnight on March 12th.

Friday

Independent Winegrowers’ Wine Show – In Lyon, the “Salon” for independent winegrowers will run from March 3rd through 5th. Tasting events will be open to the public. You can find more information here.

Sunday

School holidays – Sunday marks the last day of the winter school holidays in France, with students in Zone C returning to class on Monday, March 6th.

End of Salon de l’Agriculture – The rare merging of French city and countryside will come to an end on Sunday.

Paris-Nice – competitors in the Paris-Nice cycle race will depart from Paris.

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WHAT CHANGES IN FRANCE

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

From the anniversary of the Paris Notre-Dame fire to a flash sale for Olympics tickets and an announcement about budget cuts, here's what is happening in France this week.

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

Monday

Fifth anniversary of Notre-Dame fire – There will be a short religious service – a Te Deum – on Monday to mark the fifth anniversary of the fire. The cathedral is on track to reopen in December 2024.

Start of technical inspections for two-wheelers – After having been postponed several times over the course of nine years, the contrôle technique (roadworthiness test) for motorised motorbikes, tricycles and quadricycles, will be phased in starting on April 15th. 

READ MORE: Contrôle technique: What we know about the new French safety checks for motorbikes

Summer camp pass – France will launch a new subsidy aimed at helping middle and low income households to send their 11-year-olds to holiday clubs over the summer, with hopes of reducing time spent on screens. It will be called the ‘pass colo‘, and eligible families will be able request it by going to jeunes.gouv.fr starting on April 15th.

Spring festival – The town of Arnage (in the Sarthe département, near Le Mans) will host its spring festival from Monday, April 15th to Friday April 19th. On Saturday, there will be a ‘flower and flavour’ market from 10am to 5pm to mark the end of the festival. More info here.

Wednesday

Flash sale for 250,000 Olympics tickets – The next tranche of Olympics tickets will be on sale on Wednesday, April 17th, marking 100 days before the opening ceremony. The tickets will go on sale at 10am (Paris-time). They can be bought from anywhere in the world on the official Olympics website (paris2024.org). You will need an account to purchase tickets. More info here.

Announcement of budget cuts – In response to France’s budget deficit reaching €154 billion, or 5.5 percent of GDP, the country’s finance minister Bruno Le Maire will present a package of budget cuts to ministers on Wednesday, entitled the programme de stabilité (PSTAB). 

READ MORE: How France’s bid to tackle ‘wild’ budget deficit could impact you

Thursday

Paris Metro – Amid several line closures due to works, including line 11 from Belleville to Mairie des Lilas, some stations will begin gradually reopening as the summer approaches following. Gare d’Austerlitz will reopen for passengers starting on Thursday. You can download either the IDF Mobilités or the Bonjour RATP apps to see closures in real-time.

Saturday

School holidays – Zone B, which includes Aix-Marseille, Nice, and Strasbourg, has its spring holidays from April 20th until May 6th. 

Paris transport – The commuter train, the RER B, will be closed between Aulnay-sous-Bois and Aéroport Charles de Gaulle 2-TGV during the weekend of April 20th to 21st. As such, travellers should plan alternative routes to get to the airport – you may consider taking the Roissy Bus or a taxi between Paris and the airport.

READ MORE: What you need to know about taking a taxi in Paris

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