It might be two years but the race - albeit a marathon rather than a sprint - to be the next president of France has already started. We’ll hear about who’s in the running, who might be out of it, and who has the best chance of winning.

And we’ll tell you why US president Donald Trump is targeting a tiny French overseas territory and why Emmanuel Macron called on French companies to suspend investment in the US. 

We’ll find out about some historic French sites threatened with collapse or disappearing into the sea, like one unique fortress off the west coast that’s housed soldiers as well as tigers, snakes and spiders.

And we’ll explore some rather unknown French laws that come into force this spring that involve anything from garden hedges to dogs. Listen to the end and we might save you from being fined.

Host Ben McPartland is joined by guests Emma Pearson, Gen Mansfield and John Lichfield from The Local France.

Further reading:

• OPINION: The race to defeat the French far right in 2027 starts now
• Saint Pierre et Miquelon: Why does France have two islands off the Canadian coast?
• Macron calls for suspension of investment in US until tariffs clarified
• Fort Boyard: How France plans to save its game-show fortress
• Cars, dogs and hedges: 5 little-known rules for life in France
• Flying bells and giant omelettes: 8 ways the French celebrate Easter

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This new episode is not one you want to miss because shockwaves rippled around France this week when it was announced far right leader Marine Le Pen had been banned from standing for political office for the next five years. This could of course rule her out of the 2027 French presidential election.

It's a huge story, it's all kicked off and we'll have all the latest looking at what happens next, what impact will the verdict have on French voters and whether Le Pen can somehow still make it to the starting blocks for that key 2027 election.

And another row has flared up between France and the US this week that has angered many on this side of the Atlantic. We’ll explain what’s ignited that argument.

And away from politics we'll fill you in on the apparent conflict spilling over in French bars and pubs across the country over the size of a beer glass.

And we'll reveal France's favourite French dishes and voted for by ...the French and decide which region of the country can claim to be Queen of cuisine!

Ben McPartland your host is joined as ever by the team at The Local France Emma Pearson, Gen Mansfield and John Lichfield.

Extra reading:

• OPINION: Marine Le Pen is a martyr to nothing but her own greed and arrogance
• Appeals and rallies: What next for Marine Le Pen and the French far right?
• Does France practice 'diversity, equity and inclusion'?
• France slams US 'interference' in firms' diversity programmes
• The 'pint wars' raging in French bars and cafés
• Which French foods do French people love the most?

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This week we'll look at a potential earthquake in French politics that could strike next week. That's when far right leader Marine Le Pen will find out whether she's been banned from standing in elections. Could she be banned? Should she be banned? What will happen if she is? We'll delve deep into all of those questions and try to come with some answers.

We'll also find out about McDonald's vision of conquering rural France. Can the US fast food giant win the hearts and stomachs of French villagers?

We'll explain why France is once again arguing over the rules of surrogacy and how the law compares to elsewhere in Europe plus we'll examine whether Ryanair has followed through with its threat to pull out of France.

And we'll tell you the story of how Asterix and Obelix resisted the Romans but conquered France.

Host Ben McPartland and is joined by the team at the Local France, Emma Pearson, Gen Mansfield and John Lichfield, who, if he was a character in Asterix he’d be called Politix.

Related reading:

• OPINION: Le Pen's future hangs in the balance, and France is heading for a messy constitutional row
• Asterix: Five things to know about France's favourite character
• McDonald's targets French villages with plans for 50 new outlets
• Reader question: Is McDonald's really healthier in France?
• What are France's rules on surrogacy?
• What happened Ryanair's threats to pull out of France over 'eco tax'?
• LISTED: All the new flights to and from France in Spring 2025

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This week we look at the earthquake risks in different parts of France after the city of Nice and the surrounding area was recently shaken by a 4.1 magnitude tremor. Scientists say France should expect a big quake one day, but do we know where and when?

We also wade into a new transatlantic war of words over the Statue of Liberty and look at what else France has given the United States over the years.

We explain a new and very innovative plan to combat drought in the south of France and find out when foreigners living here will be able to do most of their admin online like the French are doing more and more with a new digital ID.

And we explain how to avoid being scammed and needlessly paying far too much when getting an ETA visa waiver to go the UK, which will be required from next month.

Host Ben McPartland is joined today by the dazzling duo from The Local France, Emma Pearson and Gen Mansfield.

Useful websites

In this episode, we reference three websites that you may find useful.

• To look at the risk of earthquakes and other natural disasters near you, try going to the French government website Géorisques.
• To keep track of water restrictions in France, use the vigieau.gouv.fr website. 
• And finally for the UK's ETA visa waiver, the genuine site can be found here - look out for the prefix www.gov.uk indicating a genuine UK government website

Further reading:

• MAP: The parts of France most at risk from earthquakes
• Where to find France's 12 Statues of Liberty
• Eleven things the French have given America
• Drought-prone southern France to inaugurate first 'air-to-water' plant
• What is France Identité and can foreigners use it?
• How to avoid ETA scams for France-UK travel
• Do Franco-British dual nationals need an ETA to travel to UK?

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This week we look at how the international crisis is impacting France. 

Is President Emmanuel Macron a war monger and making the most of it all to boost his flagging popularity as his critics say, or is he the right man at the right time to lead France and Europe through increasingly stormy waters. And we look at the battle for French public opinion between Macron and the country’s increasingly influential pro-Russian media baron.

We also find out about a move to allow rural French villages to open up new bars and cafes. Will they restore a vital social life to isolated hamlets or simply encourage alcohol abuse among locals.

We also explore how France helps its youngsters become culture vultures and why it's perhaps no surprise that bombs left over from the World Wars are still causing travel chaos decades on, not to mention injuries and even deaths.

And we find out why many Americans in France are angry right now and the reasons why many more of their compatriots are making the move across the Atlantic. 

Host Ben McPartland is joined this week by the team at The Local France Editor Emma Pearson, journalist Gen Mansfield and politics expert John Lichfield.

Extra reading:

• OPINION: Macron is no warmonger, whatever France’s pro-Putin billionaire says
• France moves to bring back village bars in bid to boost rural social lives
• OPINION: Does rural France actually need ‘saving’?
• What is France’s ‘culture pass’ and how is it changing in 2025?
• How France is still littered with unexploded bombs from the World Wars
• ‘Trump was final straw’: Why Americans are moving to France
• ‘The US doesn’t care about us’: Americans in France protest planned consulate closures

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We start off this week by jumping straight into the increasingly choppy waters of international relations and examine whether France has a strong enough military to help bring peace to Europe and whether Emmanuel Macron has any influence at all over Donald Trump.

We also explain how the UK's new travel authorisation scheme could affect you and your family in France and explain why a 102-year-old Frenchman named Albert is suing the government.

We also look at why France hasn't quite experienced the anti-tourism backlash as seen in neighbouring Spain and try to decipher the laws around the hijab as French senators propose another tightening of restrictions around the garment.

Host Ben McPartland and I'll be joined for this new series of Talking France by the team at The Local: Editor Emma Pearson, journalist Gen Mansfield and politics expert John Lichfield.

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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On the menu for this week we'll start off by talking about France's new highly intelligent cat, which Emmanual Macron is hoping will rule the world. Don't worry, we'll explain what I'm on about shortly.

We'll also delve into France's new budget and explain how listeners will be impacted by some of the measures, including why you'll have to pay more for flights in France in the future.

You've all heard of the medieval citadel of Carcassonne but there are some other, less well-known castles in south west France that are also vying for global attention, as we'll explore.

And France's Prime Minister has said he wants to open a discussion about what it means to be French, so we're going to do exactly that.

And finally stay listening until the end to find out what you really shouldn't do on a train in France if you don't want to make international news and more importantly be hit by a steep fine.

Host Ben McPartland will be joined by The Local's editor Emma Pearson, journalist Gen Mansfield and politics expert John Lichfield.

Extra reading:

• French train passenger fined €150 for using phone on speaker
• 8 must-visit castles in south-west France (you've probably never heard of)
• OPINION: AI is unstoppable, so I'd rather it was French than American or Chinese
• How France's new eco tax will affect the cost of plane tickets
• France's PM calls for debate on 'what it means to be French'

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On the bill this week, we get the latest on the forecast for how long the French PM will last as he tries to navigate the government through evermore turbulent waters.

And speaking of water we'll also hear about a potentially huge scandal involving French eau mineral - or mineral water. 

We'll look at potential problems for the thousands of skiers heading to the FRench Alps this February including: ginormous boulders rolling off the mountainside.

And we'll try to solve the age old riddle for French language learners which is whether to use "tu" or "vous". I promise I think we've cracked it.

And it's five years since Brexit but that doesn't mean everything is settled for Brits in France. We'll look ahead to some potential headaches and hurdles in 2025.

Host Ben McPartland is joined by esteemed regular guests this week: Emma Pearson, Gen Mansfield and John Lichfield.

Extra reading:

• OPINION: France's crafty PM may just pull off a Columbo-style surprise
• What to know if you are going skiing in the French Alps this February
• How to check the water quality in your French commune
• France allowed Nestlé to use banned filter for bottled water
• What are the rules on using 'tu' and 'vous' in modern France?
• It's five years since Brexit but problems lie ahead for Brits in Europe

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This week we'll examine the French President's planned multi-million euro revamp of the world famous Louvre gallery in Paris and also… why is Emmanuel Macron even getting involved in museum refurbishments anyway?

We'll also discuss the end of the internet in France, well not quite, but there are major changes afoot that listeners should be aware of.

And we'll explore France's love-hate relationship with mega cruise ships. They love building them but do French cities still love welcoming them and their thousands of passengers? Resistance appears to be growing against the so-called floating cities.

We'll also find out a strange quirk of French law that could see you in hot water at French motorway toll booths and answer the key question of who decides whether French words are masculine or feminine.

Host Ben McPartland is joined by three people worthy of having their portraits hung in the Louvre: Emma Pearson, Gen Mansfield and John Lichfield.

Extra reading:

• France to raise price of Louvre tickets for non-EU visitors
• Explained: Will other French museums follow the Louvre in charging more to non-EU visitors?
• Is France moving towards a ban on cruise ships?
• Calendar: France begins work to disconnect ADSL internet cables
• Macron responds to French driver fined for using phone to pay at tollbooth
• French grammar tips: Guessing the gender of nouns

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Donald Trump is back and his mate Elon Musk is doing a lot of talking and gesticulating, but the pair have been fairly quiet about France... so far. We'll examine whether Emmanual Macron has managed to befriend and becalm them or if Trump and co will "crush" France and Europe as the French PM has warned.

On a slightly less worrying subject we'll explain France's new census that's taking place around the country and why one particular question has caused a rumpus.

And we'll look at a new French law and how it benefits workers in the country, but perhaps not business owners… and find out why France is one of the few countries in the world where cinema numbers are going up and not down.

And we have an important update on the key subject of language tests for citizenship and residency permits that will interest many listeners.

Host Ben McPartland is joined for this week's episode by three of The Local's most astute brainiacs Emma Pearson, Gen Mansfield and John Lichfield.

Extra reading:

• Latest: French interior ministry clarifies new language test rules for foreigners in France
• France's 2025 census - who will be counted and when?
• New profit-sharing rules take effect for small businesses in France
• France's cinemas show the way in post-Covid recovery
• Read more from John Lichfield

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