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INSIDE FRANCE

Inside France: The extreme right, resistance and French language fades

From worrying far-right activity to remembering the heroes of the resistance, via body hair and fading influence for the French language, our weekly newsletter Inside France looks at what we have been talking about in France this week.

Published: 13 May 2023 14:11 CEST
Inside France: The extreme right, resistance and French language fades
A visitor takes a photograph of French Resistance leader Jean Moulin's vault at the Pantheon. Photo by Ludovic MARIN / 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.

Republican values

Disturbing news from western France where the mayor of Saint-Brevin-les-Pins has resigned his post after an arson attack on his home. He and his town had become a target for the far-right, with demonstrations by Reconquête (Reconquest – the party of failed presidential candidate Eric Zemmour) over plans for a new centre for asylum seekers in the town.

The mayor supported the plans, and had pointed out that there “has never been the slightest problem” with asylum seekers in the years they had been hosted in his town.

It’s a stark reminder that the far-right don’t need to win elections in order to damage a country. Criticism has also focused on the government, which is accused of failing to offer the mayor enough support.

The front page of leftwing daily Libération says simply ‘abandoned by the republic’ next to a picture of the mayor in front of the torched cars at his home.

Jour fériés

May is the month of many holidays in France – two long weekends already and two more to go – and if you’re looking for exhibitions to visit in Paris on your days off, I can highly recommend the very interesting Des cheveaux et des poils (hair and body hair) at the Musée des Arts décoratif – all about how hair and body/facial hair has been used for social signalling down the centuries – and the free street art exhibition at Hotel de Ville.

Resistance

For something more historical, I really like the Musée de la Libération, which has a good section on one of the subjects of this week’s Talking France podcast – the resistance leader Jean Moulin.

Download here or listen on the link below to hear more about the extraordinary Moulin, plus ‘lazy’ French workers, Ryanair taking on French strikers and a few tips on wine-tasting. 

Douze points

Also on the podcast, I was allowed to (briefly) wax lyrical about Eurovision – and especially France’s troubled relationship with the increasing use of English-language songs.

What’s striking looking at the list of all 69 winners in the contest’s history is how many of the early winners were sung in French – and how many of the more recent ones are sung in English. French and English remain the official languages that the contest is presented in (hence the dreaded nul points) but the song titles give an interesting insight into the rise of English in Europe. 

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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