PODCAST: France's plan to save kids from screens and will it get harder to become French?
Host Ben McPartland is joined by The Local France's Emma Pearson, Genevieve Mansfield and John Lichfield to look at all the latest news and talking points from France.
We start this week off with why May might be the best month in France, followed by a less joyful topic: changes to the French citizenship application process.
The team discusses how a new memo, sent out by the interior minister, could shake up applications for French citizenship, and why it might actually be more of a political stunt than a serious transformation of the process.
You can listen to Talking France on Spotify or Apple, download
HERE
or listen on the link below
France has also joined the global conversation about screen time for kids. After an open letter was sent to the French press by France's former PM, the country is thinking about ways to get kids off their mobile devices, from making Instagram turn black and white to taxing social media platforms.
You can also listen to our
previous episode
about the French law restricting how parents post pictures of their children on social media.
The Talking France team also unpacks the latest spate of dramatic attacks on prisons. We explain how serious of a problem organised crime is in France, plus how the government wants to tackle the issue of drug trafficking.
Clermont-Ferrand might be the place to go if you want to visit France's ancient volcano chain in the Auvergne region, but the ground below it is increasingly unsteady (or 'Swiss cheese' as its mayor has called it). We finish this episode off with an explanation of why this French city could be sinking.
Talking France is a free podcast made possible by the support of paying members of The Local - you can find out more about becoming a member
here
.
Further reading
OPINION: France's plan to 'toughen up' citizenship rules is just more smoke and mirrors
Why do French ministers love to send 'circulaires'?
France's ex-PM calls 'state of emergency' over children's screen use
France charges 21 prison attack suspects
'Swiss cheese': Why this French city is worried about sinkholes
Advertisement
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
LeMonde
2 hours ago
- LeMonde
Polish PM calls for a parliamentary confidence vote after nationalist wins presidency
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk on Monday, June 2, called for a parliamentary confidence vote in a bid to demonstrate continuing support for his pro-EU government after nationalist Karol Nawrocki won the presidential election. European far-right leaders welcomed the election of the 42-year-old Nawrocki, a fan of US President Donald Trump who has said he will oppose the government's progressive agenda on abortion and LGBTQ rights. He won Sunday's runoff in the highly polarized EU and NATO member state with 51% of the vote to 49% for Tusk's liberal ally Rafal Trzaskowski. In a televised address, former EU chief Tusk said he wanted the confidence vote "soon" and vowed to stay on, adding that the election "will not change anything." His comments came shortly after opposition leader Jaroslaw Kaczynski of the populist Law and Justice (PiS) party said that Poles had shown him the "red card." Kaczynski called for a "technical" government of experts to replace the current one. Nawrocki said on X that he wanted Poland to be "a state that matters in international, European and transatlantic relations": "I will represent you with dignity on the international state, ensuring Poland is treated as an equal." He could revive tensions with Brussels over rule-of-law issues and complicate ties with Ukraine as he opposes NATO membership for the war-torn country and wants to cut benefits for Ukrainian refugees. 'Share common values' Nationalist leaders rushed to congratulate Nawrocki. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban hailed his fellow nationalist's "fantastic victory," writing on X: "We are looking forward to working with you." French far-right leader Marine Le Pen also welcomed the "good news," while Italy's far-right Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni offered "best wishes" to Nawrocki and said their countries "share common values." Other EU leaders gave a more measured response. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said she was "confident" that "very good cooperation" would continue with Warsaw. French President Emmanuel Macron urged Nawrocki to work towards "a strong, independent and competitive Europe that respects the rule of law." In his congratulatory statement late Monday, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said: "The Polish people have spoken and support a stronger military and securing their borders."
LeMonde
2 hours ago
- LeMonde
Lula: 'We need global governance now more than ever'
Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has decorated his office with care. You can see a large crucifix, a photo of his wife, a sculpture of a jaguar and a large map of protected natural areas around the world. In a turbulent and war-torn international context, the 79-year-old Brazilian president has remained true to his priorities: defending the environment and fighting poverty. These themes will take center stage during his state visit to France, beginning Thursday, June 5. Ahead of his departure, he granted Le Monde an exclusive interview from the presidential Planalto Palace in Brasília. What are the goals of your visit to France and how would you describe your relationship with French President Emmanuel Macron? People remember the very warm images from your meeting in Brazil in 2024, which were described as "wedding photos"…
LeMonde
5 hours ago
- LeMonde
Dozens dead in twin attacks on Mali army bases, Timbuktu airport targeted
Twin attacks on a Malian army base in the northern city of Timbuktu and in the center of the country left dozens of soldiers dead, as well as at least a dozen assailants, security sources and local officials said on Monday, June 2. Timbuktu came under attack and shells were also fired at the airport where heavy gunfire was heard, the army, local officials and residents said. The army's general staff said in a statement it had "thwarted an attempt by terrorist fighters to infiltrate the Timbuktu camp" at around 10:00 am (local and GMT) with 14 attackers "neutralized," with no mention of other victims. "The terrorists were quickly routed by the swift reaction of the men," the army said, adding that "31 suspected terrorists" had been arrested. But the military was mourning the loss of at least 30 soldiers after reports emerged late on Monday of an attack on Sunday, likewise blamed on jihadists, at the Boulkessi army base in central Mali, near the border with Burkina Faso. Security sources and a local official said they believed the death toll from that attack would likely rise. "Our units on the ground report the death of 30 people on our side... Our men fought to the end but did not receive the necessary support," a security source in Bamako told AFP after the attack on what is one of the main military camps in the centre of the violence-plagued country. "The toll is at least 60 soldiers killed," one local elected official told AFP on condition of anonymity. A second security source told AFP there were "about 60 victims on the side of Malian forces", although that tally included "the dead, the missing and the soldiers taken hostage." In a statement late Sunday, the army had indicated that troops had "responded vigorously" to the Boulkessi attack before withdrawing. The statement went on to declare that "many men fought, some until their last breath" to defend their country and that ensuing military operations "have destroyed several terrorists grouped in places of retreat." Junta-ruled Mali has since 2012 faced attacks from groups linked to Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State group, as well as separatist movements and criminal gangs. The army's general staff said Monday regarding the Timbuktu attack that it had thwarted an attempt by terrorist fighters to infiltrate the camp in the fabled desert city. 'The city is under fire' Later in the day, a security source said that operations in the camp were "already over" and that the attackers were "everywhere in the city." Partner service Learn French with Gymglish Thanks to a daily lesson, an original story and a personalized correction, in 15 minutes per day. Try for free "They did not raid the airport because the Russians are there. But they launched shells. It's hot everywhere," the source added. A local official said the "terrorists" arrived in Timbuktu "with a vehicle packed with explosives." "The vehicle exploded near the (military) camp," the official said. UN staff were instructed in a message "to take shelter." A local journalist speaking by telephone said "the city is under fire." The ancient city of Timbuktu, once known as the "city of 333 saints" for the Muslim holy men buried there, was subject to major destruction while under the control of jihadists for several months in 2012. The jihadists who swept into the city considered the shrines idolatrous and destroyed them with pickaxes and bulldozers. The ancient city was peacefully retaken in late January 2013 with the support of French military forces under Operation Serval, deployed to halt the jihadists' advance in Mali. Since seizing power in coups in 2020 and 2021, Mali's military rulers have broken the country's traditional ties with its former colonial power France and moved closer to Russia. Jihadist groups and the Malian army and its allies from the Russian paramilitary group Wagner are regularly accused of committing abuses against civilians.
