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INSIDE FRANCE

Inside France: Erotic novels, election posturing and the monarchy

From political posturing and election manoeuvres to French monarchy discourse and the erotic novel that has raised eyebrows (and laughter), our weekly newsletter Inside France looks at what we have been talking about in France this week.

Published: 6 May 2023 13:23 CEST
Inside France: Erotic novels, election posturing and the monarchy
A protestor dressed as a king, wears a mask with the face of French President Emmanuel Macron during a protest over pension reform. Photo by Geoffroy Van der Hasselt / AFP

Inside France is our weekly look at some of the news, talking points and gossip in France that you might not have heard about. It’s published each Saturday and members can receive it directly to their inbox, by going to their newsletter preferences or adding their email to the sign-up box in this article.

Elections

The next presidential election in France isn’t until 2027, but the two-term limit for presidents means that speculation has already begun on who will stand for Emmanuel Macron’s centrist party.

Ex PM and current mayor of Le Havre Edouard Philippe is widely regarded as a strong candidate, and many newspaper articles have also been devoted to the possible presidential ambitions of current ministers including finance minister Bruno Le Maire, government spokesman Olivier Véran and interior minister Gérald Darmanin – with suggestions that Darmanin’s recent spat with the Italian government was part of his early posturing. 

It’s going to be a long four years . . .

Julia and Oskar

Speaking of Le Maire, it’s impossible not to mention the wave of mockery that engulfed France this week over his new novel. The book itself – Fugue americaine – has been getting some good reviews, but it was one of the novel’s sex scenes that set social media alight for it’s slightly cringe-worthy style.

For those with strong stomachs, the full passage is below.

There are now (joking) calls for the government to set up a counselling helpline for anyone who stumbled across that paragraph accidentally.

This is far from Le Maire’s first foray into erotica, and in fact writing erotic novels seems to be practically a requirement for a political career in France.

Royalty

If you’re in France, you might have seen a surprising amount of media coverage about the couronnement (coronation) of Britain’s Charles III.

There’s quite an interesting dichotomy around royals in France – foreign royal events, such as weddings and coronations, particularly of the British royals, get big media coverage and are pretty popular.

But at the same time when French protesters want to truly insult the president, they call him le roi. Below are just two example of graffiti I spotted in Paris on May 1st – ‘Death to the king’, and ‘Louis XVI was decapitated – Macron, we can restart that’.

Photo: The Local France

READ ALSO ‘The French have a taste for princes’ – Why British royals are so popular in France

It’s a theme that Libération’s cartoonist Coco expands on this week, with Brigitte saying to Macron ‘don’t be jealous darling, at least you have an iron throne’ as he sits on a throne of saucepans – a reference to the pot-banging ‘casserolade‘ protests that have greeted the president’s recent outings.

Poll of the week

And this is a hill I will die on – there is absolutely no need to buy new bedding to accommodate your slightly differently sized French pillows.

Inside France is our weekly look at some of the news, talking points and gossip in France that you might not have heard about. It’s published each Saturday and members can receive it directly to their inbox, by going to their newsletter preferences or adding their email to the sign-up box in this article.

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INSIDE FRANCE

Inside France: Violence, QR codes and stuffed animals

From violent unrest in a French territory to the QR codes required at the Paris Olympics, via D-Day and weird taxidermy, our weekly newsletter Inside France looks at what we have been talking about in France this week.

Published: 18 May 2024 07:38 CEST
Inside France: Violence, QR codes and stuffed animals

Inside France is our weekly look at some of the news, talking points and gossip in France that you might not have heard about. It’s published each Saturday and members can receive it directly to their inbox, by going to their newsletter preferences or adding their email to the sign-up box in this article.

High tension

After a relaxed week with a double holiday and most of the country taking a break, it seems that the news has come roaring back this week – first a highly dramatic jailbreak that left two prison officers dead and a fugitive at large, then the worst rioting in 30 years on the French island of Nouvelle Calédonie which left five people dead, and finally a man shot dead by police while apparently trying to set fire to a synagogue in northern France. It seems that there’s barely been time to breathe. 

These three things are, of course, not connected and in the case of Nouvelle Calédonie have followed years of political and ethnic tensions on the Pacific islands.

But it’s not surprising that people feel a bit punch-drunk at this series of events. Already right-wing parties are attempting to make capital out of this ahead of the European elections – a favourite tactic of the far-right in recent years has been trying to portray France as in the grip of an uncontrolled wave of crime and violence.

While no-one would deny that France has crime and that there are problems with violence, the statistics do not bear out this image of a ‘lawless’ country’. 

QR codes

Talking of security, the big topic in Paris this week has been whether we need QR codes to get around the city during the Olympics, after the security plan for the Games was unveiled in detail.

For many people this will bring back bad memories of Covid restrictions, attestations and health passes – although once you dig into the detail of the Games QR codes you realise that they won’t actually affect all that many people.

The areas that they cover are limited and the most onerous restrictions are only in place for the week leading up to the Opening Ceremony. You can find a complete guide to whether you need a code, and how to get one if you do, HERE.

Talking France

We look at the QR code situation on this week’s Talking France podcast, as well as France’s economic reality, the quirks of the French health system and the new ‘drive like a woman’ campaign.

Plus John Lichfield talks about his involvement in projects to commemorate D-Day in his Normandy home, and why the 1944 landings still hold such a special place in French hearts. Listen here or on the link below. 

Get stuffed

But my biggest question about France remains unanswered – why is weird taxidermy furniture so popular? If you’ve spent time at a French brocante you will likely have come across stuffed animal parts made into a variety of items from coathooks and ashtrays to – as below – chairs or stools.

Answers on a postcard, please.  

Inside France is our weekly look at some of the news, talking points and gossip in France that you might not have heard about. It’s published each Saturday and members can receive it directly to their inbox, by going to their newsletter preferences or adding their email to the sign-up box in this article.

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