Inside France: Dossiers, dentures and the trauma of French deportations

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.

Ageing badly?

When I'm 64 . . I'll be nearly dead, as The Beatles didn't quite sing.

The age of 64 is is the news because Emmanuel Macron wants it to be the new standard age for retirement (up from 62) and his idea is hugely unpopular - more than a million people took to the streets for a second time to protest against it on Tuesday.

But one thing I have noticed around the discourse is the idea that this proposal will force people to work until they are ancient, withered crones on the brink of death - not a picture most 64-year-olds I know would recognise.

Here's a few signs from recent demos; 

But let's leave the last word to Charlie, 15 . . . 

A very happy Tuesday to anyone in their 60s - according to Charlie (15) you are basically dead . . . https://t.co/HmVKkHmmMY pic.twitter.com/NaiPtlAGtp

— Emma Pearson (@LocalFR_Emma) January 31, 2023

Shadow of history

This tweet, from British children's author and poet Michael Rosen, speaks for itself as a reminder of one of the darkest periods of France's history.

Today, 1944 at 2.30am, 4 gendarmes knocked at the door of Mme Bobières and arrested Martin Rosen/Chil Majer Rozen. In their report, they recorded that he was Jewish, was wearing cotton clothes, flat shoes, a beret and he had a scar on his face. They handed him over to the Nazis.

— Michael Rosen 💙💙🎓🎓 (@MichaelRosenYes) January 31, 2023

In towns, cities and villages across France you will find plaques remembering people deported and murdered during the four years of the French occupation.

The ones I find most moving are the individual plaques that are placed on homes, schools and offices, reminding us that each one of the 80,000 people deported from France during this period were individuals who lived, worked, shopped and socialised in the same places we do now.

The hidden history that tells the story of Paris' brutal and bloody occupation 

Talking France

This week's podcast tackles more serious subjects, including the ongoing strikes, but my favourite bit was chatting to academic Emile Chabal about where the stereotype of France as the home of romance and sex comes from. His answers were not at all what I expected.

Listen here or on the link below.

Best moment of the week

And I'm sure that anyone who has been involved in French admin will appreciate the sheer heart-thumping, pulse-racing joy of receiving an email like this concerning that mainstay of life in France; the dossier.

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.