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JOHN LICHFIELD

PODCAST: Who is to blame for the turmoil in France and when will calm return? (Bonus episode)

French politics expert John Lichfield joins us for a bonus episode of Talking France to give his views on who's to blame for the current turmoil in France, if the protests really are a new "May 1968" and how and when calm might return to the streets?

Published: 1 April 2023 10:11 CEST

PODCAST: Who is to blame for the turmoil in France and when will calm return? (Bonus episode)

With France mired in political crisis, strikes against pension reform continuing and protests turning violent The Local brings you a special bonus episode of Talking France featuring more valuable analysis from French politics John Lichfield.

If this is your first time listening to Talking France you should check out our regular weekly podcast which looks at a wide range of news, talking points and cultural questions from France. You can listen to all our recent episodes HERE.

But for this bonus episode we are sticking to one subject focussing on the political crisis and protests against pension reform that have gripped the country in recent weeks.

Why has France become so angry, why have protests turned violent, are protesters right to talk about a repeat of May 1968 or does France over-romanticise protests and political violence – including the French Revolution itself?

These are just some of the questions I put to John, our veteran French politics expert, for this bonus episode.

You can listen on Apple, Spotify or Google podcasts by downloading the podcast HERE. Or simply press play below.

Remember you can find all episodes of Talking France HERE – and if you like what you hear please leave us a review or just tell a friend.

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France to sell Russian oligarch's Riviera chateau

Berezovsky acquired the Chateau de la Garoupe on the Cote d’Azur in the 1990s while post-Soviet Russia’s first president Boris Yeltsin was in power and the tycoon was considered one of the most powerful people in the country.

But it was confiscated by French authorities in 2015, two years after Berezovsky was found dead in exile at his home in England in circumstances that have never been fully explained. He had by then become a bitter opponent of Putin.

A screenshot from Google Maps, showing the Chateau de la Garoupe along the coast.

The property was built on the prestigious Cap d’Antibes by the British industrialist and MP Charles McLaren, and its rich history has seen it associated with the likes of Pablo Picasso, Cole Porter and Ernest Hemingway.

The chateau “represents exceptional architectural and cultural heritage. Its acquisition offers a unique opportunity to own a prestigious residence steeped in history in an enchanting setting,” France’s Agrasc agency on confiscated assets said in a statement.

Interested parties can express their interest from June 16th to July 17th and those validated as possible buyers can submit bids from September.

The chateau, like the neighbouring property of the Clocher (Belltower) de la Garoupe, also owned by Berezovsky, was confiscated after being judged to be the proceeds of money laundering committed by investment company Sifi and its manager, Jean-Louis Bordes.

They were ruled to have acted as a front for Berezovsky.

Reacting in response to an initial complaint filed by Russia, the French authorities needed 10 years to unravel the complex history of purchases including that of the Chateau de la Garoupe in December 1996.

The Cote d’Azur has been popular with rich Russians going back to visits from the imperial family at the turn of the century.

After the collapse of the USSR, it became a favourite playground for the country’s oligarchs.

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and sanctions from the West has made owning property and even entering France increasingly problematic for many Russians.

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