Opinion

Silhouetted football supporters cheer with raised arms beneath stadium lights overlooking the pitch.

French football may have finally won me over

Columnist and soccer-phobe Sarah Henshaw finds live Ligue 1 games can be compelling

Nigel Farage and Jordan Bardella gesture on stage beside a lectern at a Reform UK conference.

Bardella and Farage’s immigration promise is a provocative pipe dream

Columnist Nick Inman argues that the politicians’ mutual ‘memorandum’ is a hollow media stunt

UK bid to rejoin EU: ‘so many bumps in the road’

Cambridge professor says UK would have to negotiate terms

opinion

Violence is terrible, but French pupils are right to protest

Injustice should always be challenged, says columnist Nabila Ramdani

UK could rejoin EU in coming decade, says French think tank expert

November 20 talks offer a chance for a ‘new horizon-setting summit’ on UK-EU relations, Sébastien Maillard tells The Connexion

Rejoining the EU would reopen doors for Britons in France, but ‘a long tail to Brexit’ remains

Sociologist Michaela Benson warns that the lost opportunities and the damaged sense of belonging cannot simply be reversed

Burnham’s UK debate on rejoining EU marks ‘significant break’, says Sorbonne Nouvelle professor

Pauline Schnapper says, however, it is far from certain that the EU would grant the same sort of status that Britain had before

France would favour gradual UK return to EU, says Sciences Po professor

‘British society needed to go through Brexit to realise that Britain is a European country’

French senator: 'We are very pleased about the UK wanting closer links with the EU'

Olivier Cadic says a return of the UK 'would change everything'

‘It is such a relief to hear UK PM Andy Burnham talking this way’

Groups representing Britons in France have welcomed the prospect of a UK return to the EU

Close-up of a French electoral document marked République française

French riots mean election run-off will be choice of two extremes

The risk to Macron is vast, says columnist Simon Heffer

‘Smoke filled the sky’ - A British student’s account of violence at Lyon protests

Nicholas Watt witnessed the protests and the confrontation with police last weekend

Does France need a prankster to shake up its presidential race?

Britain’s Count Binface and Belgium’s Noël Godin have given pause for thought regarding political satire

It is time for France to put its retirees to good use

François Bouchon of France Bénévolat explains the many benefits this would bring

France’s Nutri-Score makes a farce of healthy eating

The system was introduced in 2017 to help shoppers improve their diets

France should not fall for Kremlin propaganda

Political commentator Simon Heffer examines reasons for growing sympathy toward aggressor

Painted portrait of a royal figure in elaborate dress holding a sword in an ornate interior.

Reinstating the French monarchy makes no sense at all

Columnist Nick Inman argues against a right-wing delusion

Crowds and photographers at the Cannes red carpet for 'Ismael's Ghosts' screening

France’s film industry cannot survive without the capitalist it despises

Columnist Simon Heffer considers the revolt against Vincent Bolloré

Jordan Bardella raises his arm at a rally, amid supporters in tricolour sashes

Jordan Bardella is too young to be President of France

Columnist Nick Inman argues for the benefits of experience and age in French politics

Here,Is,My,Card.,Closeup,First,Person,View,Of,Beautiful

US-style tipping is destroying France’s famous café culture

Columnist Nabila Ramdani deplores the new aggressive gratuity tendency sweeping the country

19 inspirational French women for International Women’s Day

Samantha David takes a look at the life and work of women she admires - who would you add to the list?

Opinion: Another week off – how I love living in France

One of the many things I adore about the French is their attitude to time off.

Paris,France January 31st 2023: People march against raising retirement age

‘It is my right to work beyond retirement age - but France says no’

Age discrimination in the workplace is real but hidden, says (soon to be forcibly retired) English teacher Nick Inman

Do you agree? Paris politicians ignore rural France at their peril

Rural voters are looking for leaders outside the Paris bubble who will protect village life, says columnist Nick Inman

'Targeting golfers in France as a threat in class war is ludicrous'

Stigmatising certain groups for political gain is nothing new, says commentator Nabila Ramdani

‘Farmer crisis is a pig for new French PM and a godsend for Le Pen’

It is tough at the top of the greasy pole of politics, observes commentator Simon Heffer

‘Macron wants higher birth rate - of the right kind of French babies’

The president’s latest bid for Le Pen votes is deeply unsavoury, warns commentator Nabila Ramdani

‘Why France’s ‘boy wonder’ PM may still end up as Macron’s scapegoat’

Prime Minister Gabriel Attal may have presidential aspirations but consider the fate of his predecessors, warns commentator Simon Heffer

‘French far-right fight over rural votes with village-idiot policies’

Political parties which promise to protect a mythic Gallic country life are living in a fantasy world, warns columnist Nabila Ramdani

Are theatre audiences in France better behaved than the UK or US?

Columnist Peter Wyeth notices a genuine appreciation for performers and no reports of anti-social behaviour at shows

‘Unlike English there is a right and wrong way to speak French’

It is wonderfully Gallic that the Académie française exists to keep the language pure and elegant, admits columnist Nick Inman

Your views on American tourist’s claim that France is ‘isolating’

We asked for feedback after her video about a negative experience in Lyon went viral

Talking point: Is France really a meritocracy?

Equality is a pillar of French culture - columnist Nick Inman explores whether the brightest talent can always rise to the top

‘No happy new year for French president chasing a place in history’

President Macron’s problems are stacking up at home and abroad, says columnist Simon Heffer

‘Our kind French neighbours have made us feel so welcome’

The French are often portrayed as ‘stand-offish’ but columnist Peter Wyeth has had nothing but generosity - especially with surplus vegetables

Do you agree? Flawed trickle-down economics at odds with French values

Columnist Nick Inman digs into why many French people are sceptical that tax breaks for the wealthy will benefit society

‘Vous? Tu? French people are more worried about mistakes than I am’

The French word for ‘you’ comes with a social dance that columnist Nick Inman refuses to join

‘No fussy eating, strict bedtimes - my French parenting rules’

‘Adopt what you like and leave the rest’, says Columnist Cynthia Spillman as she points out some differences of bringing up children in France

‘I will never rely on an app to translate my thoughts into French’

Online translators are useful tools but people still need to understand the nuance of language, says columnist Nick Inman

Do you agree? American Dream overrated when compared to France

Columnist Nick Inman explores the existence of the French Dream and how it differs to its American counterpart

Ways to cope with bereavement when living in France, away from family

Columnist Cynthia Spillman draws on personal experience to give five suggestions on handling the loss of a loved one abroad

‘The torturous tale of my missing carte Vitale and French bureaucracy’

French administration systems are always right and never make mistakes, jokes columnist Peter Wyeth

‘Mairie to rescue when no engineers found for my dodgy French boiler’

Writer Samantha David left with problem when her regular repair man was off sick

‘Do not correct me everytime I murder the French language’

There is a time and place, argues Nick Inman, and constant corrections can do more harm than good

10 French songs that have sparked debate over the years

As one of France’s all-time hits is criticised for its right-wing tone, we look at other contested songs

Do you agree? French cuisine is not superior to other foods

Put stereotypes to one side, there are some foods Britain and US do better than France, says Nick Inman

‘A weekend camping 12 minutes away from our French home - why not?’

After a relaxing stay at the local lake, writer Samantha David realises tourist facilities on her doorstep are for locals too

Talking point: Is it really offensive to say ‘the French’?

Columnist Nick Inman mulls over the arguments for and against using this general term

‘Calling French grammar sexy takes the love of this language too far’

It is infuriating to learn yet thrilling to get right, admits Nick Inman

‘Solid metal fences hiding French gardens are a mystery to me’

Attitudes to fencing might highlight a difference in French and American culture, ponders Peter Wyeth

‘Ten recycling bins in Belgium was easy compared to French system’

‘Why is it so difficult to recycle in my village?’ wondered writer Samantha David, so she rang the council to ask them

‘Tax on France’s vegetable gardens would be another Macron scandal’

If rumours of a ‘potager’ tax are true it would strike at the heart of French life, says journalist Nabila Ramdani

Stress-busting tips for when friends come to stay with you in France

Living in France can mean acquiring ‘new best friends’ who invite themselves to stay, columnist Cynthia Spillman helps navigate this with grace

‘Bringing back monarchy to France may not be a ridiculous idea’

A monarch and a President may bring balance - but which aristocrat would sit on the French throne? Journalist Simon Heffer explores

‘Paris proves people will happily pay for great art’

Columnist Nabila Ramdani believes other countries could learn a thing or two from the success of the French capital’s museums

‘Forget raising retirement age in France, AI will lead to job losses’

It makes no sense for France to raise the pension age, with AI set to replace many jobs, says scientist Simon Thorpe

Charles III coronation: What do the French think of the UK’s new king?

The strong memory of Lady Diana plus Charles III’s recently postponed visit to France have not helped his popularity

‘Superb’, ‘nonsense’: Your views on making French mairies fly EU flag

MPs from Emmanuel Macron’s party want to make displaying the flag mandatory

‘Macron is right about pensions – but being right is rarely enough’

Reforming the retirement system is good for France, but Macron must watch out for the political backlash, warns commentator Simon Heffer

‘Stark health warnings on every wine bottle in France is absurd’

Winemaker Jonathan Hesford examines the impact of health labelling on small wine producers and the Mediterranean diet

Why we are on the side of French pension reform strikers

Connexion readers explain what motivated them to join local demonstrations against President Emmanuel Macron’s plan to raise the retirement by two years to 64

Secondhand uniforms can still create equality in French schools

As the debate around school uniforms continues, we hear how a British thrift shop idea could be transferred to France with no stigma attached for students

Talking point: Do not believe everything you read about ‘the French’

Nick Inman goes the extra mile to fact check a report that one in 10 French people believe the earth may be flat

‘King’s visit to France chance to rebuild fractured relationship’

Commentator Simon Heffer takes a look at reports King Charles will make a state visit to France in June

Gilles Kepel: ‘Atmospheric Jihadism’ is latest threat to France

Middle East specialist Gilles Kepel speaks to Théophile Larcher about how the terrorist threat in France has evolved in recent years

‘France’s new repair grant for appliances is great – in theory’

Getting her pink kettle fixed through the government’s ecological repair scheme proves easier said than done for writer Samantha David

France, a nation of complainers? Yes, but it’s a good thing

We French are known for grumbling (and studies prove it to be true) but, argues Théophile Larcher, this belies the country’s high expectations and resilience

Updated: more of your feedback on French banks

Readers give their views after surprisingly positive poll shows almost nine in 10 French people surveyed have a good opinion of their bank - and particularly their local branch