Talking France

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The Local's Talking France podcast is back with a look at the burning issues in France this week - from policing to farm animals, workers shortages to paperwork traps. 

Host Ben McPartland is joined by Local France editor Emma Pearson and reporter Genevieve Mansfield to discuss the big issues in France this week - from the controversy raging around the Interior Minister to problems with the French police and their often heavy-handed crowd-control techniques.

We're also joined by veteran political columnist John Lichfield to look at the domestic fall-out from the chaotic scenes during a football match at the Stade de France.

Genevieve talks us through the staffing shortage that is already hitting France and is expected to get worse over the summer, and we're also answering question from our readers - Why a woman's maiden name is such a big deal in France?

Finally, we've got some handy French vocab and a look ahead to some of the events on the horizon.

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In this week's Talking France we'll look at what's new in France, which Frenchman is dominating all the headlines and why now is great time to head to Provence.

And for our main topic of discussion we'll look at the climate crisis. How will it impact France, which regions will most affected and is President Emmanuel Macron really prepared to do what needs to be done?

It is of course a long weekend for many because of Ascension day on Thursday so we'll give three things you need to know about those sacred public holidays in France.

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With the results in and Emmanuel Macron having secured a second term as French president, The Local's Talking France podcast breaks down the results and looks ahead at the next few days, the parliamentary elections and the five years of Macron's second term.

As the results came in, Ben McPartland was joined by The Local’s France editor Emma Pearson and veteran political columnist John Lichfield to try and work our what it all means.

Macron was re-elected with a 17 point lead, the first French president to win a second term. However turnout was the lowest since 1969 and of those people who did vote, four in 10 voted for the far-right candidate Marine Le Pen.

Add this to the ongoing cost-of-living crisis, the war in Ukraine and the likelihood of further international political and economic turmoil, and Macron has a challenge on his hands.

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France will choose its next president on Sunday and the choice for voters is simple: re-elect the incumbent centrist Emmanuel Macron or opt for his longstanding rival on the far right Marine Le Pen.

Some 15.6 million French voters tuned in to watch Wednesday night's almost-three hour clash to see if either candidate could land any knockout blows on their opponent just days before the crucial vote.

We speak to John Lichfield to get his take on the clash, whether there was a clear winner and loser and if the live tête-a-tête will have any impact on Sunday's voting.

Along with The Local France's editor Emma Pearson we'll also be looking ahead to Sunday and beyond to look at what will happen next depending on who wins.

With John and Emma we'll also look at why France feels more divided than ever.

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Emmanuel Macron and his far-right challenger Marine Le Pen will face each other once again in the second round run off vote in the race for the Elysée.

Host Ben McPartland is joined by The Local France's editor Emma Pearson and political commentator John Lichfield to discuss what's likely to happen when voters go to the polls again on April 24th.

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French voters will head to the polls for the first round of voting on Sunday and the election race has suddenly become very interesting.

On this week's episode host Ben McPartland runs through the latest polls, news and talking points with The Local France's editor Emma Pearson. 

We'll also look at what actually happens on polling day and why people in France will be glued to their TV screens at 8pm. 

Our political columnist John Lichfield is again with us. John has long believed that Emmanuel Macron will be re-elected but does he now have reason to doubt his prediction given the latest developments? And what would France be like under a Marine Le Pen presidency? 

This week we also spoke to political analyst Mudgetarbar Rahman about why this election matters far beyond the borders of France. 

And if you want to learn some handy French words and phrases then stay with us until the end. 

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In the latest episode of the Talking France podcast, The Local team plus commentators John Lichfield and Rim-Sarah Alouane look at what the election candidates plan for foreigners in France, how the idea of the secular French state has been 'weaponised', and which political party is selling election-special condoms.

Ben McPartland is joined by Local France editor Emma Pearson, reporter Sam Bradpiece and columnist John Lichfield to talk about the latest from the French election trail – from the behaviour of former presidents to what the candidates have planned for foreign residents in France and the likelihood of an election shock in the second round.

Legal academic Rim-Sarah Alouane, of Toulouse-Capitole university, a specialist in religious freedom and civil liberties, explains what the French concept of laïcité (secularism) actually is, how it has changed and become weaponsised in the political discourse and what this means for Emmanuel Macron.

The team is also looking at ‘election merch’ each party is selling – from slogan T-shirts to frisbees and condoms – and explaining some French phrases that you’ll hear at election time. 

If you are not yet a member of The Local please consider joining by visiting thelocal.fr/podcastoffer

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With three weeks to go until the first round of the French election, The Local France team plus guest experts John Lichfield and Adam Plowright discuss abstention levels, Macron's legacy for France and which candidate would make the best drinking buddy.

The Local’s Talking France aims to make sense of France, its politics and in particular its 2022 presidential election. This week host Ben McPartland and The Local France editor Emma Pearson are joined by veteran columnist John Lichfield, plus Macron biographer and Paris-based journalist Adam Plowright.

We’re talking the latest from the campaign trail, the problems of abstention, how powerful the French military really is and why it is that so many people seem to viscerally hate Emmanuel Macron.

We’re also looking at whether a low turn out will really mean a re-elected Macron would be an ‘illegitimate’ president, as his opponents claim.

And as ever, we’ll be looking at some of the French words and phrases you need to understand the presidential campaign, and answering questions from our readers – such as, what is a vote blanc?

If you are not yet a member of The Local please consider joining by visiting thelocal.fr/podcastoffer

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In this week's episode, host Ben McPartland is joined by The Local France's editor Emma Pearson who brings us up to date on the latest news and talking points with just four weeks to go before the first round of voting. Emma will also help to explain why French people tend to vote differently in certain parts of the country compared to others. 

We'll also hear from The Local's political columnist John Lichfield about the possible impact of the end of most Covid restrictions in France even though cases are rising once again. He'll also look at whether President Emmanuel Macron is panicking about petrol.

Ben is also joined by French political scientist Jean-Yves Camus, an expert on the extreme right, to find out whether France as a country really has moved to the far right in recent years. Is it inevitable that the Elysée palace will one day be occupied by a president from France's extreme right?

And wel run through a few French phrases and words that it will be handy to know at election time.

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As France prepares for a battle over its political soul - and maybe also the future of Europe - The Local is launching a special election podcast featuring our expert columnist John Lichfield. 

We’ll aim to explain the upcoming French presidential election for a non-French audience – how the political system works, who the candidates are and what they stand for, the hot-button issues in France and of course the crucial question; who will win?

This week on Talking France, host Ben McPartland is joined by editor Emma Pearson, our political columnist John Lichfield and Sorbonne economics professor Claudia Senik as we look at the first week of official campaigning in the 2022 French presidential election.

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