Host Ben McPartland is back from a two-week break and he is joined by The Local's Emma Pearson, Genevieve Mansfield, John Lichfield, and special guest Alex Dunham to discuss all the latest news.
To start things off on a lighter note, our team debates the merits of TimeOut's latest global sandwich ranking, which alleges that France is home to the best sandwich in the world.
Talking France is available on Spotify or Apple, you can download it here or listen on the link below
Then, the Talking France crew dives into the increasingly choppy waters of international relations, discussing French President Emmanuel Macron's dynamic with US President Donald Trump and whether or not France has enough military power to help bring peace to Europe.
We also give you the latest on the UK's new travel authorisation scheme - ETA - and how it will affect non-British/Irish citizens making a trip to the UK in the coming months, plus commonly asked questions for families travelling together.
The team also explains the possible ramifications of a controversial law that recently passed the French Senate and aims to ban the hijab from all sporting competitions in France.
We also talk about the steps France is taking to handle over-tourism - including cracking down on key boxes used for self-check-ins at Airbnbs. To understand how France compares to its neighbours, we talk to the editor of our sister site, The Local Spain, to get to the bottom of why the over-tourism situation is so much worse on the other side of the Pyrenees.
And finally, do you have big plans for when you're 102 years old? The Talking France team gives you a fascinating look into the life of a 102-year-old Frenchman who is currently suing the French government over a particularly terrible part of the country's history.
Extra reading
- EXPLAINED: Does France really have a hijab ban?
- OPINION: France and the UK may be willing to send troops to Ukraine, but do they have the military strength?
- Will I need an ETA visa for my French spouse or children?
- The French cities cracking down on Airbnb with key box bans
- Frenchman, 102, sues government over WWII forced labour in Germany
- Why is mass tourism such a problem in Spain but not in France?
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