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Does Paris deserve its title as the ‘city of love’?

Paris and romance: they go together like café and croissants or jambon and beurre. But why exactly is Paris the "city of love" and does it really deserve the title?

Does Paris deserve its title as the 'city of love'?
People kiss in front of the Eiffel Tower (Photo by LUDOVIC MARIN / AFP)

Paris frequently makes the list for the top 10 places in the world to propose and the city has long been a top spot for Valentine’s getaways and honeymoons. 

What is it about the French capital, more than any other city in the world that makes people go weak at the knees? And is the reputation well deserved?

READ MORE: Where does the ‘romantic, sexy French’ stereotype come from?

The beauty

With the grand, Georges Haussman-designed central Paris, as well as the charming cobbled streets of Montmartre and the Marais, it’s no wonder Paris is said to be one of the most beautiful cities in the world.

The city preserves its famous skylines under Unesco heritage protection which limits buildings to six stories and the carefully preserved buildings may go some way to explaining the romantic appeal of Paris.

“Because they’ve capped the stories, you have the old buildings that aren’t towering, they don’t create canyons of obscurity”, Paris-based writer Debra Healy told The Local in a previous interview. “I think people come because it’s beautiful”.

A stroll through a city hand-in-hand is certainly more romantic than a bus or Metro ride, and Paris’s small size and wide streets mean it’s ideal for walking and taking in the scenery.

“You can’t get lost, and there’s always something beautiful around the next corner,” says Healy.

The big screen

Numerous films over the years like French Kiss, Amélie and Midnight in Paris have embedded a certain rosy idea of the French capital that’s hard to shake.

According to Hollywood, Paris is all chic hotels and strolls by the (very clean) Seine.

Hollywood movies idealised Paris, like ‘Funny Face’ or ‘An American in Paris’ because they were “echoing the constant fascination with art, fashion and jewellery” which of course were all centred in the then style capital of the world, Healy told The Local.

Even in modern films set in Paris, the city is given a golden glow – the Paris of ‘The Devil Wears Prada’ is a whirl of glamour and beauty (in contrast to the bustling New York where the film begins). 

The food

What is any romantic occasion without good food and drink? Paris’s 44,000 restaurants and illustrious gastronomic history make it a top destination for romance-seekers.

“For the British especially, the pull is very much food and wine and champagne” says Larry Davis, owner of romantic Paris tours company Experience Paris told The Local.

Combining traditionally elegant or cosy restaurants with the backdrop of romantic architecture, you can see why dinner for two in Paris is an appealing thought for many couples.  

After all, “where else can you do a dinner cruise at night that’s as beautiful as Paris?” says Davis.

READ MORE: Revealed: How your food and drink habits change when you move to France

The people

“It’s the beauty of the city, but it’s also the people”, blogger Lily Heise of Je t’aime, me neither told The Local.

The French may mock the classically snobbish capital-dwellers, but for those seeking a romantic experience, Parisians may actually be part of the attraction.

 “The French are definitely more passionate, more flirtatious,” Heise told The Local. “They do have this seductive quality, they’re not afraid to follow their passions, which I think is key”.

Add this typical French “passion” to an aesthetically charming city, then you’ve got a recipe for a romance.

‘Je t’aime’

And it’s not just the personality of the French that makes people swoon, it’s the language itself, which once was crowned the sexiest in the world.

A Google translate survey found that 34 of the top 1,000 translated into French were about love, more than the other 5 most popular languages on the translation service. 

Indeed the phrase “Je t’aime” was the most requested translation from French. Not conclusive of course, but the French language certainly adds to romantic flavour of the capital.

The history

Historically, France was the centre of ideas, art, poetry and revolutionary politics in the Western world. And the Left Bank “intellectuals quarter” retains a sense of romanticism for couples.

Writers (a typically romantic bunch) flocked to Paris from the 19th Century through to the jazz age of F. Scott Fitzgerald and Hemmingway, and wrote adoringly about life in the City of Light.

Books such as Hemmingway’s “A moveable feast”, paint a picture of the city as a profound and romantic experience, which may go some way to explaining why people all over the world fall in love with Paris (even if they’ve never been there).

… And does it live up to the hype?

“Paris absolutely lives up to expectation,” says Lily Heise, but others hoping to be wooed by the city have been disappointed.

The much-discussed, and perhaps overblown, “Paris syndrome” supposedly afflicts tourists who come to Paris expecting Le Vie en Rose, only to discover that The City of Light has all the pitfalls of any other modern city, like traffic, noise, pick-pockets, high prices, litter, dirty and decrepit public transport and pavement dog poo.

And those who live in the city might be seeing the irony in its reputation for romance too, as Paris is apparently the capital of single people, infidelity and divorce in France.

As of 2017, 43 percent of Parisians were single, 10 percent higher than the rest of the country, and of those in relationships – 46 percent – admitted to cheating, compared to 40 percent in the rest of the country. 

Paris may not be the place to find your happily ever after either, as only 25 percent of marriages last over 20 years, drastically lower than the national average of 41 percent, BFMTV reported.

So there’s no doubt you can have a wonderfully romantic time in Paris, enjoying the unique combination of beautiful architecture, unspoiled history, fine cuisine and fine wine, surrounded by passionate locals but perhaps don’t come expecting to swan through the city like Audrey Hepburn, and maybe think carefully about falling for a local. It could end in tears.

By Rose Trigg, originally published in 2018

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POLITICS

The 3 reasons that French presidents leave office early

French President Emmanuel Macron has ruled out resigning, whatever the result of snap elections he has called for later this month - so what are the circumstances when a French president's term might come to a premature end?

The 3 reasons that French presidents leave office early

Macron has called snap parliamentary elections for the end of June, in an attempt to counter the rise of the far-right. The elections don’t directly affect the office of president since in France presidents and parliament are elected separately.

Although a loss for his party in parliament would be humiliating for Macron, he says he will not resign, telling Le Figaro: “The institutions are clear, the place of the president is clear, and it is also clear whatever the result.”

Listen to the Talking France team discuss the snap elections mean for France, for Macron himself and for foreigners living here in our latest podcast episode.

But do French presidents ever leave office early?

Under the constitution of the Fifth Republic there are three official ways that a presidency can end early, and two of those have happened since 1958.

The three routes are; resigning, dying in office or being impeached.

Dying

This one is pretty clear cut – a presidency obviously comes to an end if the president dies in office. This has happened once during the Fifth Republic, in 1974 Georges Pompidou died of cancer mid-way through his presidential term.

Further back in France’s history president Félix Faure also died in office. His sudden death reportedly occurred when he was in flagrante with his mistress.

In the case of the death of the president, the leader of the Senate takes over as interim president until fresh elections can be arranged – in 1974 this was Alain Poher who served as temporary president until the election of Valéry Giscard d’Estaing a month later.

The President of the Senate takes this role because it is possible to dissolve the Assemblée Nationale, but not the senate. As such, the continuity of the presidential office is ensured.

However, the President of the Senate does not have all presidential powers. For example, they would not have the ability to submit a bill for a referendum, dissolve the Assemblée Nationale, or propose changes to the constitution.

Resignation

The president also has a choice to submit their resignation, whether that is for personal or political reasons.

Again this has only happened once during the Fifth Republic – in 1969, French President Charles de Gaulle resigned following a failed referendum he had initiated. 

De Gaulle’s presidency reached crisis point during the mass strikes and protests of May 1968 and he even briefly left the country, worried for his personal safety. However the general fought back and convincingly won elections later in 1968.

The following year, however, he resigned following the loss of a referendum on the less-than-enthralling subject of proposed reform of the Senate and local government.

As with the death of the president in office, if the president resigns then the president of the Senate steps up as an interim – in 1969 this was again Alain Pohler.

Impeachment

The third scenario where a president may leave office before the end of their term would be impeachment – destitution in French.

This is a relatively new invention in France, as it was first added to the constitution in 2007, in the form of article 68 – and has, so far, never happened.

Impeachment can be triggered “in the event of failure [of the head of state] to fulfil his duties manifestly incompatible with the exercise of his mandate”. For example, this may be a refusal to sign laws, according to French media Ça m’interesse.

According to the French government site Vie Publique, the breach of duty may be political, but it may also be the private behaviour of the president, if his/her actions “have undermined the dignity of his office.”

READ MORE: EXPLAINED: How does the French Senate work?

The dismissal procedure can be triggered without any criminal offence. The procedure must be proposed by at least 10 percent of the Assemblée or the Senate – meaning at least 58 députés or 35 senators. 

Then the impeachment is voted on by secret ballot, with the two chambers serving as the High Court. In order to be accepted, there must be a minimum of a two-thirds majority reached in each chamber. 

During the duration of the procedure, the president would continue in office.

No French president has been impeached during the Fifth Republic, but in October 2016 the Les Républicains party attempted it against then-President François Hollande, accusing him of divulging national security secrets to two journalists who were writing a book about him. The vote was easily defeated. 

There is a separate procedure from impeachment – it is called l’empêchement and it is outlined in Article 7 of the French constitution – which is intended to be used if a president becomes mentally unable to govern.

In this case, a president can be prevented from exercising her or her mandate, but it would be up to the Constitutional Council to determine whether their mental or cognitive faculties are impaired.

Similar to death or resignation, it would be the President of the Senate who steps in while the president is incapacitated.

Military coup

It’s not an official way to end a presidency, but of France’s five (so far) republics, most have ended violently due to wars, invasion or military intervention.

This hasn’t happened during the Fifth Republic but it came close in 1961 – right-wing and military figures, furious at the French colony of Algeria being given independence by president Charles de Gaulle plotted the violent overthrow of his regime. Their plan was defeated and De Gaulle remained in office.

Since 1961 things have been a little calmer on the military coup front, but France is a country of endless surprises . . .

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