Inside France: Lunch deals, strikes and a 'victory for the far-right'

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.

Might of the right

So it's over - sort of. The French immigration bill has passed, and in a revised form that has been described as "a National Front pamphlet from the 1980s".

That might be a slight exaggeration, but the bill is certainly more right-wing than the one originally proposed by Emmanuel Macron's centrist party. Political insiders say some of the more eye-catching measures (yearly migrant quotas, deposits for foreign students, citizenship limitations) will almost certainly be junked by the Constitutional Council - and that the Macronists know this and allowed the addition of a few wacky clauses in order to get the bill passed.

OPINION: Macronism has not failed, but the toughest test lies ahead

So it seems likely that the thing that finally becomes law will not, after all, be a victory for the far-right.

This might be smart political operating, but will there be long-term damage from appearing to steal the clothes of the far-right? I suspect there will be and I'm struggling to think of an example of a country where moving further to the right has indeed defeated the far-right - what more usually happens is that the whole political conversations shifts to the right and the far-right becomes even more extreme.

Lightning strike

It caused Christmas travel misery for thousands, but Thursday's strike of Channel Tunnel workers was remarkable also for its brevity. At 12 noon workers at tunnel operator Getlink walked out, completely halting all traffic through the tunnel, both Eurostar and Le Shuttle services. At 4.30pm French unions and bosses met to negotiate the end-of-year bonus for staff, by 6pm the meeting was over and unions said they were "waiting for management to get back to us with a serious offer" and by 7.30pm the strike was over.

France's transport minister Clément Beaune reportedly personally intervened to ensure a deal was reached - staff went back to work, the Tunnel reopened and hopefully most people will still be able to reach their destination for Christmas. 

Talking France

We are of course discussing all the fallout from the immigration bill (and what it means on a practical level for foreigners in France) in this week's Talking France podcast. But I urge you to stick around for John Lichfield's fascinating look at the politics of Catholicism in France, and why the country's Catholics have developed such a distinct identity. Listen here or on the link below. 

 

And if you haven't had enough of the sound of my voice - I'm also a guest on RFI's Spotlight on France podcast this week, sharing the bill with royal mistress Madame du Barry (sort of). 

Lunchtime deals

If your New Year's resolution is to have more fancy meals out (and if it isn't, why not?) then I'd definitely recommend checking out lunchtime deals.

More and more of France's posh restaurants are offering lunchtime deals where you get the same standard of food at a fraction of the cost - I've noticed quite a few Paris restaurants offering lunchtime tasting menus; three or five courses of whatever the chef is serving that day, usually for between €40 and €50 per person. 

It's usually delicious and I find it strangely relaxing to basically just turn up and say 'feed me' rather than agonising over menu choices.  

And I hope all readers have a great Christmas and New Year - may all your French seafood banquets be plentiful.

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.