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INSIDE FRANCE

Inside France: Le Pen, hip-hop and French village mayors

From the political fall-out of the riots to French village life and some TV recommendations, our weekly newsletter Inside France looks at what we have been talking about in France this week.

Published: 15 July 2023 08:05 CEST
Inside France: Le Pen, hip-hop and French village mayors
French hip-hop pioneers JoeyStarr and Kool Shen are the subjects of the drama Le Monde de Demain. Photo by FRANCOIS GUILLOT / 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.

Far-right on the march

As the dust settles from the riots and the clean-up begins, we’re seeing a lot of hot takes on what it all means, and one of the most common is that they make a Marine Le Pen presidency an inevitability.

I was pleased to read the opinion from our columnist John Lichfield that this is far from inevitable, even with the caveats that of course predicting the results of an election in four years’ time is very difficult.

Polling does suggest that in short term Le Pen and her far-right party Rassemblement National have benefited politically from the social unrest, but interestingly she has mostly achieved this by saying very little. That was also her strategy during the pension protests, when she was conspicuous by her absence from most of the debates.

Her ‘dédiabolisation’ strategy is basically to say little and ensure her MPs turn up in parliament, dress smartly and don’t say anything overtly racist. 

And it seems to be working for her – but if she wants to run for president again in 2027 (and every sign indicates that she does) then surely at some point she will have to explain her policies to the French people? And try to present an economic plan that comes somewhere close to adding up?

Jardin-travail 

The Local has been partly produced from the Charente ‘branch office’ this week – aka our extremely overgrown garden in the pretty south-west département which also encompasses the lively town of Angoulême, best known for its cool street art and annual comic book festival. 

Among the many nice things about small villages in France is going for an evening stroll and bumping into the mayor, who welcomes you to the commune. Anne Hidalgo never did that . . .

READ ALSO Why are village mayors so important?

French viewing and listening

The Talking France podcast is now on its summer break, we’ll be back in September, in the meantime we have a year’s worth of previous episodes to catch up with here. 

Hip-hop

If you’re looking for more France-based entertainment I really enjoyed the mini-series Le Monde de Demain (Reign Supreme), a based-on-a-true-story drama about the growth of hip-hop in France in the 1980s. Originally made by Arte, it’s also now available on Netflix.

The drama is great in its own right with amazing music and fabulous 80s fashions (especially the main character’s mullet) but it felt especially nice to be watching something about the Paris banlieues that wasn’t about riots, crime and poverty but instead showcases the creativity and energy that is also found in the suburbs.

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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