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TALKING FRANCE

PODCAST: How will France deal with new terror threat and what’s the obsession with rural romance?

The Talking France podcast is back looking at the latest news and talking points in France - starting, of course with the raised terror alert after Friday's attack, before moving on to the doctor's strike, plans to expand Paris and why France loves farmer romances so much.

PODCAST: How will France deal with new terror threat and what's the obsession with rural romance?

Host Ben McPartland is joined by The Local France editor Emma Pearson, journalist Genevieve Mansfield and politics expert John Lichfield to discuss all the latest news from France.

After Friday’s terror attack, we’re naturally beginning with the raised terror alert in France – looking at what that means for people who live here or are just visiting, as well as explaining the background to more ‘Sentinelle’ soldiers on patrol and what it means to be fiché S.

You can find the Talking France podcast on Spotify, Apple or Google podcasts, download it here or listen on the link below

As the political conversation moves to expelling radicalised foreigners, we also discuss whether that would actually help to prevent further terror attacks.

On other topics, French GPs are on strike so we’re asking what they want, how the French general practitioner system is changing and how to get medical help if your doctor is on strike. 

We’re casting an eye over Paris’ ambitious expansion plans and answering the question ‘Is McDonald’s really healthier in France than in the US’?

And finally, we’re trying to understand just why a TV show about finding love for lonely farmers has proved so enduringly popular in France (as well as adding our own French TV recommendations).

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You can find all previous episodes of Talking France here – and if you like what you hear, consider rating us or leaving a review wherever you listen to your podcasts. This helps other people to find us.

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TALKING FRANCE

PODCAST: What are real French values and does France care about its troubled far-away territories?

The Talking France podcast is back looking at the big issues in France - from deadly rioting in New Caledonia to the threat of Olympic strike chaos, via 'French values' and France's most overrated tourist sites.

PODCAST: What are real French values and does France care about its troubled far-away territories?

Host Ben McPartland is back with The Local France’s Emma Pearson and John Lichfield to discuss all the latest news and talking points from France – plus what we think are the most overrated (and underrated) tourist sites in France.

Starting with strikes in Paris – is this just pre-Games posturing or is there a real threat of strike chaos during the Olympics this summer? And is it really true that the French want to ban people from speaking English during the Games?

You can find the Talking France podcast on Spotify or Apple, download it here or read on the link below.

From imagined future chaos to current actual chaos – the French islands of Nouvelle-Calédonie have been engulfed in rioting that has left six people dead. We dig into the politics behind the violence, the special status of the islands and the reason that France has a presence in the Pacific in the first place.

France’s most famous person? Perhaps. You’d certainly struggle to find a French person who doesn’t know his name. As Kylian Mbappé prepares to leave Paris-Saint-Germain we look at just why he is so famous and what his status tells us about France today.

And what exactly are ‘French values’? It’s a pertinent question for foreigners living in France and those hoping to move here someday, who will soon be expected to sign a contract agreeing to respect the ‘values of the French republic’ – we take a look at exactly what those values are and what foreigners will be expected to demonstrate.

Talking France is a free podcast made possible by the support of subscribers to The Local France – you can find all previous episodes here and find out more about supporting The Local here. If you like what you hear, please consider liking or sharing the podcast, or leave us a nice review – these all help other listeners to find the podcast.

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