224 June 2021 (Digital edition)
On the front page: Row over low-cost channel ferry firm Irish Ferries
A new Dover-Calais ferry service is due to start this month but unions on both sides of the Channel plan to fight the arrival of Irish Ferries. Unions claim the firm, which already operates between Ireland and France, is aggressively low-cost and will seriously damage existing services and result in a lowering of standards. Mick Lynch, general secretary of UK ferry union RMT, told Connexion, “We intend to fight this all the way.”
Read the full story on the front page, and continued on page 2.
French news explained: Covid-19 turns France’s housing market on its head | Vaccination now open to all as lockdown lifts | Hunters run first TV advertising campaign
Covid-19 has upended the property market across France, with Paris losing out but nearly all other regions benefiting as buyers seek greener and simpler post-pandemic lives. Remote working, which the government encouraged firms to enable, means many people have reassessed their accommodation and their lifestyles.
Read more about new property trends and their impact on the market on page 3.
All adults in France are eligible to receive a Covid-19 vaccination from May 31, two weeks ahead of original plans. The country’s health restrictions are progressively lifting, with the curfew due to end on June 30. President Macron has said it is possible that wearing masks in the street will no longer be mandatory from July but this has not been confirmed.
See the latest information on Covid vaccinations and the roadmap out of lockdown on page 2 and online in our Coronavirus daily updates.
Hunters are running their first-ever TV advertising campaign to raise awareness for a practice that its national federation says has been unfairly attacked by animal rights groups.
Emmanuel Blacque-Belair, communications director for the Fédération nationale des chasseurs, said: “The goal is to give a sense of legitimacy to our actions again and recruit new members, and it is a big first.”
Understand recent French headlines with The Connexion’s in-depth analysis in our news sections pages 1-12. We cover French news in daily articles online along with further analysis in our monthly print editions. View our subscription options.
Brexit and France: Brexit rules ‘to cost us €150,000 more in tax to sell second home’ | Host’s invitation can replace attestation | June 30 deadline to apply for carte
A Connexion reader faces a capital gains tax bill €150,000 higher than expected after selling his second home – because stricter non-EU rules are being applied post-Brexit. UK residents who sell a French property must use a fiscal representative for capital gains formalities if the sale is for more than €150,000 as for all non-EU countries. But the representatives are often scrupulous about tax rules.
Learn more about what retired IT company owner Nigel St George discovered after selling the house he had built on Ile de Ré on page 4
UK nationals visiting France to stay with friends and family can show, if asked, an invitation from their host as evidence of the reason for their stay, a senior spokeswoman from the Interior Ministry told Connexion. It comes after confusion over whether Britons need an attestation d’accueil from the host’s mairie for private visits.
Understand the rules for visiting friends and relatives in France on page 4
Plus: June 30 is the last day to apply for a residency card for Britons who were living in France before 2021. These Britons must obtain a card by October 1, unless they have another EU nationality.
Stay informed with the latest Brexit news in our Brexit section as it is released.
Practical advice for living in France: Make sense of work contracts | Do S1 Britons keep lower socal charges? | How to earn extra money after retirement
If you look at job adverts in France, you will soon spot the terms CDD or CDI relating to different kinds of employment contracts. We explain some of the key differences between them.
Understand employment terminology in our Make Sense Of… column on page 19.
Legal experts from the French tax and social services authorities are looking into whether British S1 form holders who live in France (and other EU countries) and are covered by the Brexit Withdrawal Agreement may continue to benefit from lower social charges on certain income.
See the financial news that impacts you in our Money/Tax section on page 33.
Retired people can still do work and earn extra with a micro-entreprise small business. However, there are conditions, in some cases affecting the amount you are allowed to earn and the effect on your pension.
Read more in our work section on page 36.
French culture and lifestyle: ‘The French are terrified of grey hair and wrinkles’ | Steam trains are just the ticket for seeing France by rail | Garden visits for full-bloom June
63-year-old model Sylviane Degunst has been offered little work since returning to Paris from London. She says it is time France began to embrace the image of growing older and has written a book, Moi, Vieille et Jolie, about her experiences and attitudes to growing older.
Read the full interview on page 13.
There are steam trains running all over France although many of them only run in the summer months, covering short distances for the delight of holiday-makers. If you are an enthusiast, get in touch with your local steam train association because they are always on the lookout for new recruits, and don’t care if newbies don’t speak much French, as long as they speak ‘train’!
Viewing stunning vistas from vintage carriages to crash courses in how to drive a locomotive, we head on a fast track around the country’s steam train routes on page 2 of French Living.
Plus: We reveal some of the fabulous privately owned French gardens that will be open to visitors this month. Open Gardens/Jardins Ouverts, the association which encourages gardeners of all nationalities to open up their gardens to the public, has gardens open with health protocols in place this June.
You’ll find more culture and lifestyle articles, alongside recipes, quizzes and more, in our French Living pull-out which comes free with every print edition.
Reader questions answered
You asked, we answered. Send your queries to questions@connexionfrance.com
- May we leave a caravan parked on our land?
- What state help is available to buy a new electric car?
- What does vin vivant mean?
- Can we get a long-stay visa while in France?
Get the answers to your questions on page 18 and elsewhere. You can also find answers to reader questions in the Your Questions section online.
Plus:
Travel: Rules for traveling to and from France this summer
Politics: Lifetime vote for Britons overseas now ‘very likely’
Shopping: Prices for many goods ordered online set to rise
Property: Wood burners targeted to reduce 40,000 smoke deaths
Environment: Farmers facing double threat of summer sun and drought
Language: Learning languages ‘is easier with hypnosis’
Comment: Why it is vital to identify origin of Covid-19