Inside France: Language tests, wine prices and Europe's newest country
From a racist outburst in the French parliament to language tests for foreigners, via the cheapest wine in France and Europe's 'new' country, our weekly newsletter Inside France looks at what we have been talking about in France this week.
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.
Immigration has come back onto the political scene in France this week, after a relatively long break - which even mostly included the elections earlier in the year, when all polling showed that voters were more concerned about the cost-of-living and other day-to-day issues.
But the appalling murder of a 12-year-old girl in Paris in which the main suspect is a woman who was living in France illegally has seen it hit the headlines again, with far-right activists parading with the girl's picture (until her devastated parents begged them to stop) and France's hardline interior minister announcing a new immigration bill.
READ ALSO French exam for foreigners - what we know so far
The upshot of all this is that foreigners in France are again facing the possibility of a language exam in order to get a residency card. While few people would argue with the general idea that foreigners in France should learn French, the prospect of a written test is a deeply stressful one for many - particularly the elderly and those who struggle with exams.
Racist outburst
Despite a political landscape that many see as moving firmly to the right, there was shock and condemnation on Thursday after a racist outburst in parliament from one of the newly-elected MPs of the far-right Rassemblement National party.
https://twitter.com/RimSarah/status/1588204609818042368?s=20&t=NSWAHgXzUzDQUiKmhdto-g
Grégoire de Fournas, of Marine Le Pen's RN party, insisted that he yelled "Qu'ils retournent en Afrique" (they should get back to Africa) and not "qu'il retourne en Afrique" (he should get back to Africa) - and that he was referring to the migrants that black MP Carlos Bilongo was asking a parliamentary question about, and not the MP himself.
Either way, it's embarrassing for Le Pen, whose main goal over many years has been to 'detoxify' her party. Although I would suggest that anyone who is shocked by this did not read Le Pen's 2022 manifesto.
Good news on the economy
Inflation in France is the lowest in the EU, new data reveals, but that doesn't mean that French residents haven't also had to deal with rising prices, especially for food and petrol. In fact, as The Economist journalist Sophie Pedder spotted, wine is now cheaper at the pump than petrol.
https://twitter.com/PedderSophie/status/1586377975322271747
This type of arrangement is common in southern France at vineyards and markets - you take along your own container and fill it with wine from the 'pump' for the bargain price of between €1.50 - €2 a litre.
It's fair to say that the wine you get isn't exactly a grand cru, but in most cases it's perfectly drinkable.
The average price of petrol at the pump in France is currently €1.70.
Piss-take of the week
And have you ever heard of the country of Listenbourg?
Before you start to worry about your lack of geographical knowledge, know that Listenbourg doesn't actually exist.
It's a fake country, made up by jokers on the internet, apparently in France or at least on French-speaking accounts, and adopted by a surprising number of people and companies - here's the official account of the Paris 2024 Olympics announcing the arrival of the Listenbourg team.
https://twitter.com/Paris2024/status/1587073869067829252
And the reason for this? I'm sorry to say that it's taking the piss out of Americans, and their perceived lack of geographical knowledge of Europe (although, in fairness, most Europeans can't accurately place US states on a map).
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 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.
Immigration has come back onto the political scene in France this week, after a relatively long break - which even mostly included the elections earlier in the year, when all polling showed that voters were more concerned about the cost-of-living and other day-to-day issues.
But the appalling murder of a 12-year-old girl in Paris in which the main suspect is a woman who was living in France illegally has seen it hit the headlines again, with far-right activists parading with the girl's picture (until her devastated parents begged them to stop) and France's hardline interior minister announcing a new immigration bill.
READ ALSO French exam for foreigners - what we know so far
The upshot of all this is that foreigners in France are again facing the possibility of a language exam in order to get a residency card. While few people would argue with the general idea that foreigners in France should learn French, the prospect of a written test is a deeply stressful one for many - particularly the elderly and those who struggle with exams.
Racist outburst
Despite a political landscape that many see as moving firmly to the right, there was shock and condemnation on Thursday after a racist outburst in parliament from one of the newly-elected MPs of the far-right Rassemblement National party.
https://twitter.com/RimSarah/status/1588204609818042368?s=20&t=NSWAHgXzUzDQUiKmhdto-g
Grégoire de Fournas, of Marine Le Pen's RN party, insisted that he yelled "Qu'ils retournent en Afrique" (they should get back to Africa) and not "qu'il retourne en Afrique" (he should get back to Africa) - and that he was referring to the migrants that black MP Carlos Bilongo was asking a parliamentary question about, and not the MP himself.
Either way, it's embarrassing for Le Pen, whose main goal over many years has been to 'detoxify' her party. Although I would suggest that anyone who is shocked by this did not read Le Pen's 2022 manifesto.
Good news on the economy
Inflation in France is the lowest in the EU, new data reveals, but that doesn't mean that French residents haven't also had to deal with rising prices, especially for food and petrol. In fact, as The Economist journalist Sophie Pedder spotted, wine is now cheaper at the pump than petrol.
https://twitter.com/PedderSophie/status/1586377975322271747
This type of arrangement is common in southern France at vineyards and markets - you take along your own container and fill it with wine from the 'pump' for the bargain price of between €1.50 - €2 a litre.
It's fair to say that the wine you get isn't exactly a grand cru, but in most cases it's perfectly drinkable.
The average price of petrol at the pump in France is currently €1.70.
Piss-take of the week
And have you ever heard of the country of Listenbourg?
Before you start to worry about your lack of geographical knowledge, know that Listenbourg doesn't actually exist.
It's a fake country, made up by jokers on the internet, apparently in France or at least on French-speaking accounts, and adopted by a surprising number of people and companies - here's the official account of the Paris 2024 Olympics announcing the arrival of the Listenbourg team.
https://twitter.com/Paris2024/status/1587073869067829252
And the reason for this? I'm sorry to say that it's taking the piss out of Americans, and their perceived lack of geographical knowledge of Europe (although, in fairness, most Europeans can't accurately place US states on a map).
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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