In France, the municipal elections are held every six years. But the most closely-watched race is the vote to win the keys to Paris City Hall. There have been some surprises in the race so far, as the president's chosen candidate Benjamin Griveaux was forced to bow out after a sex video scandal. Leading in the polls is the incumbent mayor of Paris, the left-leaning Anne Hidalgo. But not far behind her in another well-known figure in French politics, the right-leaning Rachida Dati. We take a closer look at who else is in the running and what’s at stake.

This week, we’re focusing on France's justice system. We tell you more about a profession that's up in arms. The government's unpopular pension reform plan has led lawyers to go on a rare, nationwide strike. But the walk-out over pension reform is just the tip of a bigger iceberg. The government has been making its case for a major restructuring and streamlining of the French judiciary, much to the concern of all involved. Lawyers and magistrates alike warn against instating a discriminatory, two-tier justice system. We give you more insight on what's at stake with the planned revamp.

Here in France, the average life expectancy is going up, while the proportion of people aged over 65 is also rising steadily. While some older people can live independently for years, others with more complex needs often choose to live in a retirement home. We discuss the increasingly pressing question of housing and care options available to senior citizens with Serge Guérin, sociologist and retirement specialist. We also look at a groundbreaking initiative to bridge the gap between generations.

In 2016, the UK voted to leave the EU. Since then, Brexit has been a dominant news story across Europe, notably in neighbouring France. In this edition, we look at what Brexit means for British and French people living in each other's countries. We find out about the jobs being relocated to Paris and see to what extent the British and French economies are interdependent. As the UK enters a transition period, there's still a good deal of uncertainty about what final form the UK-EU relationship will take. We discuss this with the UK ambassador to France, Lord Llewellyn.

This week, we’re in the gourmet aisles of one of Paris’s best loved department stores to talk about the French art of pastry making! While the country faces some stiff competition in the wider culinary world, pastry remains a French preserve, and with good reason. With a combination of technical skill and creativity, the latest generations of young French pastry chefs have elevated dessert-making to a veritable art form. Add to that a pinch of TV bake-off shows and a sprinkling of social networking and what you're serving up is a French addiction. We take a closer look.

This week, we look into Paris's bid to reclaim its status as the world's leading art market. In 2018, French sales totalled just over €3 billion. But over 70 percent went under the hammer of just 20 houses. The market is not only concentrated in the hands of a few players; even here in Paris, it’s foreign auction houses that lead the pack. With just 7 percent of the global art market, France has been outbid by the US, China and the UK. But it's working on making a comeback. To find out more, we visit Paris's oldest auctioneers, Drouot.

This week, we're going back to school to talk about how France handles bullying, which affects some 700,000 French children every year. It starts early, with the highest figures recorded at primary school. There, an estimated 12 percent of children say they've been bullied. In middle school and early high school, the serious bullying only grows, before subsiding as children near graduation. Understanding the mechanisms of bullying can go a long way. Support from peers is proven to be the most effective response, so raising awareness and empowering fellow students to intervene is key.

This week, we're exploring some of Paris's department stores or "Grands Magasins". These monuments to shopping have been in business since the mid-to-late 18th century and are internationally renowned. But the entire shopping experience is the result of a lot of hard work by large numbers of people. Our team spent 24 hours behind the scenes at the Printemps store. We also met Frank Rosenthal, a retail expert, to find out more about how the "Grands Magasins" have remained such important institutions over the decades.

This week, we turn our attention to the general strike which began in France on Thursday, December 5. Across the country, railway workers, teachers, air traffic controllers, garbage collectors and many others have walked off the job. France hasn't seen industrial action on this scale since 1995, and back then, the country ground to a halt for three weeks. Nobody knows how long this strike will last, but some warn it could carry on until Christmas, maybe even beyond. We take a closer look at what triggered the strike: plans by the government to reform and streamline the nation's pension system.

This week, we're examining the French Catholic Church and the sex abuse scandals that have shaken the institution. After years of cover-ups, the Church is finally starting to face its critics. But victims of abuse at the hands of clergy are not ready to forgive. Meanwhile, adherence to the French Catholic Church is falling, and the paedophilia scandals have contributed to this tendency. So what is the Church doing to try to make amends with victims and worshippers? FRANCE 24 takes a closer look.