Sun, 06/26/2016 - 13:57

The trouble with asking the people: Thoughts on EU referenda past and present

The decision by British voters to leave the EU comes with a certain sense of déjà vu. It is reminiscent of the French decision to reject the European Constitution back in 2005. Both polls have important similarities - but also key differences.
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Thu, 01/22/2015 - 19:32

France’s integration model: Problems in schools ‘nothing new’

After it emerged that some French schoolchildren did not respect a minute’s silence for the victims of the Charlie Hebdo attacks, the emphasis is now on shoring up “Republican values” in France's schools. But is this really such a new problem?
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Tue, 12/30/2014 - 16:52

New French words I learned in 2014

Working at FRANCE 24 offers a good vantage point to notice “new” French words - well, new to my foreign eyes. Here is a selection of French vocabulary that cropped up in 2014 and sometimes had me “reaching” for the online dictionary.
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Thu, 11/13/2014 - 23:10

Are the French becoming nicer?

This Thursday is World Kindness Day, which here in France means it’s la Journée de la gentillesse. This is slightly ironic, as being nice is not usually seen as a positive trait by the French.
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Mon, 10/20/2014 - 13:25

5 things you didn't know about life at the Elysée palace

This week, the magazine of French newspaper Le Monde features an exclusive behind-the-scenes report at the Elysée presidential palace. For one week, a journalist and photographer were given rare access to President François Hollande and his staff.
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Wed, 01/29/2014 - 11:36

Unpopular but underestimated? Valérie Trierweiler’s legacy as French first lady

She may certainly be the most unpopular French first lady in recent history, but does Valérie Trierweiler really deserve all the criticism over her time at the Élysée palace?
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Thu, 11/14/2013 - 08:26

'French answer to Playboy' makes heady comeback

While a UK campaign to ban so-called "lads' mags" is gathering speed, a men’s magazine with a distinctly macho flavour has just relaunched here in France. And it's selling like hot cakes.
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Mon, 07/15/2013 - 22:17

Why is France's finance minister so happy?

Despite working 17-hour days in a bid to help revive the economy, French Finance Minister Pierre Moscovici recently said he was a "happy man”. Find out why...
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Sat, 06/15/2013 - 19:48

Animal rights activists march in Paris demanding closure of slaughterhouses

This Saturday, hundreds of people marched through southern Paris calling for an end to the killing of animals for food. I went along to see what the atmosphere was like.
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Wed, 04/03/2013 - 22:56

Bad luck and political vengeance: the downfall of French budget minister Cahuzac

The downfall of France's former budget minister, Jérôme Cahuzac, who has admitted lying about having an offshore bank account, has its roots in a mixture of bad luck and political vengeance that Machiavelli would have appreciated.
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