Read news from:
Austria
SHARE
COPY LINK
For members

INSIDE FRANCE

Inside France: Resistance, AI and ego

From French citizenship for foreigners and the debate over AI, via a heroic figure from the past and the ego of certain French politicians, our weekly newsletter Inside France looks at what we have been talking about in France this week.

Published: 17 February 2024 07:39 CET
Inside France: Resistance, AI and ego
The Pantheon will get a new occupant next week. Photo: 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.

Down to earth

Another week in France, another unedifying debate on the subject of foreigners and immigration. A proposal to remove the citizenship right of droit du sol in the French overseas territory of Mayotte has been put forward in the very specific context of an undoubted crisis on the tiny island in the Indian Ocean.

It’s true that this proposal is unlikely ever to be extended to mainland France, and comes with some important small-print that means the proposal is not quite as it sounds.

Ultimately, however, I think that language does matter and proposals that make the far-right cheer are bad for the political fabric of a country, no matter how much small-print constrains the actual proposal itself.

It’s interesting to note that many French media assume that droit du sol is an automatic right for all children born in France to foreign parents to become French. In fact – as anyone who has moved to France and then had a baby will know – the process is long and complicated and involves the child growing up in France, not simply being born here.

Explained: What is France’s ‘droit du sol’?

Talking France

We’re discussing more about droit du sol on the latest episode of Talking France, as well as baguettes, the guillotine and why Monaco is like “East Germany but with sunshine and millionaires” – listen here or on the link below.

Foreign contribution

If you see this hideous poster denouncing ‘foreigners, Communists and Jews’ on billboards around Paris – don’t panic. The piece of Vichy-era Nazi propaganda is being republished because one of the people denounced on the poster will next week be given France’s highest posthumous honour; being inducted into the Panthéon.

Resistance fighter Missak Manouchian, executed by the Nazis in 1944, will be ‘panthéoniser’ on Wednesday, and his inclusion in the famous Paris monument is being seen as recognition, not only of his own heroism, but of the contribution made by foreigners and Communists to the French Resistance during WWII. 

READ ALSO Who was Missak Manouchian and why is he important?

Back in black

Lots of governments around the world are talking about AI right now, but France’s finance minister Bruno Le Maire chose to illustrate his Instagram post on the subject with the below image – a photo of himself, digitally altered to appear like a young George Michael (or maybe Patrick Swayze).

I’m sure he had a serious point to make about AI, but this confirms my theory that – even by the standards of politicians – Monsieur Le Maire has a healthy ego . . .

Film tip of the week

This might be well known, but I’ve only just stumbled upon it – the Franco-German TV channel Arte has an extremely handy service that allows you to either rent or buy films (new and classic) without having to sign up for any kind of subscription or streaming platform.

You can download a film for 48 hours for around €3, or download it to keep for around €8. They have a good range and it’s handy if there is something you want to watch but you feel like you already have too many subscriptions. It’s basically Blockbuster Video for the 21st century. 

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.

Member comments

Log in here to leave a comment.
Become a Member to leave a comment.
For members

INSIDE FRANCE

Inside France: Internet regulation, French language battles and 90-year-old barbers

From screen time to another French language controversy, via France's attitude to the internet and a few bad puns, our weekly newsletter Inside France looks at what we have been talking about in France this week.

Published: 4 May 2024 08:13 CEST
Inside France: Internet regulation, French language battles and 90-year-old barbers

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.

Wild west web

This week a commission of experts produced a detailed report on the effect of screens on children, along with some far-reaching recommendations including a complete screen ban (including TV) for toddlers, no smartphones for under 13s and avoiding social media like Instagram or TikTok for all under 18s.

This is at this stage just a series of recommendations, but the intention is to draw up legislation on this topic – which is being discussed around the world as more people worry about the effects of too much screen time on youngsters.

As a relatively new technology, it’s not uncommon for legislation to lag behind the rapidly changing and developing online world. But while some countries seem to view the internet as a kind of natural phenomenon which cannot be legislated for – like the weather – France has a history of being more interventionist.

From the ‘GAFA’ legislation that eventually forced tech giants like Apple and Facebook to pay tax in the countries that they operate in to legislation to limit the pictures of children that parents can publish on social media – France has shown itself at least willing to try.

As Emmanuel Macron said this week, legislation is more effective if done on an EU-wide basis, and it’s notable that the EU Commissioner leading the charge to try and make social media companies clean up their act is a Frenchman – the charismatic (or should that be attention-seeking?) Thierry Breton.

Talking France

We discuss the screens report – and the reaction of French parents – on this week’s Talking France podcast, as well as French May traditions, changes to EU travel and France’s oldest barber.

That barber is 90 years old and still working, by the way, one of a growing number of French people who are not only living to a ripe old age, but choosing to carry on working – for all that the country still has the lowest official retirement age in Europe.

Listen here or on the link below.

Say non or not?

A parliamentary resolution to ‘say non to speaking English during the Paris Olympics’ gained worldwide media coverage this week – but there is more to this story.

One the one hand a small group of mostly right-wing MPs passed a completely non-binding resolution – on the other hand the people actually organising the Games have shown themselves more than happy to speak English if required and to provide all information in both English and French. Likewise signage on the public transport is being put out in multiple languages to make life easy for international visitors.

Without wanting to over-state things too much, you might almost see this as the face of the old France versus the new – and it’s certainly noticeable that younger French people tend to be happy and even excited by an opportunity to speak English, and don’t see speaking other languages as any kind of loss to French culture – which happily remains as strong as ever.

Wordplay

And as a dedicated fan of terrible puns, I couldn’t help but laugh/groan at this one (say the name out loud)*

The French are fond of puns and wordplay, which is one reason that French humour can be hard for foreigners to understand. Another reason is that it’s highly referential, so if you don’t get the political/sporting/cultural reference then you won’t get the joke.

READ ALSO Are the French really ‘not funny’?

But then, all humour is based on culture as much as it is on language – as witnessed by the number of British comedies that get remade for an American audience. 

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.

* The name when said out loud sounds like ‘J’ai pas de riz’ or ‘I have no rice’ – hence the reply ‘no worries, just eat pasta’. 

SHOW COMMENTS