-
Speed limits to (mostly) drop to 30 km/h in this French city
The new measure will improve noise and pollution, improve safety and encourage cycling, say local authorities
-
Thousands of French parking fines cancelled after IT bug
The fines had been issued in error after IT system was privatised
-
Watchdog highlights Christmas food shopping ‘scams’ in France
Pastries with palm oil, excess packaging, inflated prices…vote for the worst ‘scam’ in this food watchdog’s annual contest
Schoolboy secures work placement at Elysée Palace
A middle school student from Brittany has managed to secure a very rare work experience placement in the Elysée Palace, after writing directly to President Emmanuel Macron.
Matthieu Picarda, a 14-year-old collège student at the Saint-Louis school in Auray (Morbihan, Brittany) will do his work experience placement at the palace, after having been inspired by watching Macron on television, according to French news source FranceInfo.
Work experience placements of at least one week are a requirement for students in 3e (equivalent to the UK’s Year 10) at many schools across France.
Picarda wrote his letter asking for the Elysée placement last June, after having watched the then-newly-elected President take part in a television debate.
Inspired, he decided to write directly to the leader, and, despite not knowing if he would get a reply at all, quickly received an official and positive response.
“My mum came to find me one evening,” Picarda told local newspaper Ouest-France. “She was literally jumping around in the car because she had just opened the letter that said I had been accepted on the placement. Passers-by in the street thought we were mad, we were shouting and jumping up and down so much.
“I can’t wait, but I’m also quite nervous,” he said. “I still can’t really believe it.”
Stay informed:
Sign up to our free weekly e-newsletter
Subscribe to access all our online articles and receive our printed monthly newspaper The Connexion at your home. News analysis, features and practical help for English-speakers in France