Inside France: Baguette shortages, mass protests and the Eiffel Tower
Inside France is our weekly look at some of the news, talking points and gossip in France that you might not have heard about. It's published each Saturday and members can receive it directly to their inbox, by going to their newsletter preferences or adding their email to the sign-up box in this article.
Pain of no
pain
This year's May Day
saw a good turnout
for the traditional demos in towns and cities across France (perhaps at least in part due to the fact that it was a beautiful sunny day) - either 300,000 people or 157,000 people depending on whether you believe the unions or the interior ministry.
There are usually widespread closures in France on May 1st, which is an official 'non working day' or
jour chôme
, although this year saw
more
boulangeries
than normal close
after spot inspections last year saw bakers fined for breaching strict regulations on May 1st working.
According to one newspaper,
up to 12 million French people
were "deprived of bread" on May 1st, a situation they lamented as
"pas normal"
. It reminded me of the
old French phrase
for describing something as endless or interminable -
long comme un jour sans pain
(as long as a day without bread).
Some French people managed to see the funny side, however, below is one of several posts poking fun as the supposed 'great bread famine' of May 1st 2025. Happily in my neighbourhood one
boulangerie
remained open, so I survived to write this column.
Soyez tous présents dimanche pour l'inauguration du monument aux morts de la grande famine du 1er mai.
[image or embed]
— Maitre Eolas (
@maitreeolas.bsky.social
)
May 2, 2025 at 8:46 AM
Talking France
We discuss the May 1st
boulangerie
situation, and the place that May 1st holds in French hearts, in the latest episode of the Talking France podcast - as well as strikes and protests by doctors, why Americans love Nice so much and why ants apparently love the French Linky. Listen
here
or on the link below.
Towering rage
The US rapper and current resident of Sweden Azealia Banks apparently has some thoughts on her new home - but in between
ranting about Ikea and Stockholm nightlife
, she also took the time to share her views on France.
I'd say that you would be doing well to find a €1 cappuccino in central Paris, but might she have a point about the Eiffel Tower? When we asked
Paris residents for their number 1 tip for tourists
they said 'avoid the Eiffel Tower'.
Poster paints
But if you're in Paris and are looking for an art expo, I really recommend the Musée d'Orsay's
L'art est dans la rue
exhibition, about the developments of posters as an art form. Not only does it include all the big names - Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, Alphonse Mucha, Charles Verneau etc - it's fascinating on how and why the avant-garde artists of the day embraced this new art form.
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One detail I found especially interesting was the public interest in the new brightly-coloured, artistic posters that were adorning their streets - the developments in printing techniques that made these possible were contemporaneous with Baron Haussmann's redevelopment of Paris and commentators at the time remarked that the posters provided a welcome splash of colour in what they saw as the rather drab uniformity of the new Haussmannian boulevards.
Nineteenth century painting of Parisians viewing posters on the street, part of the Musée d'Orsay's L'art est dans la Rue exhibit. Photo: The Local
Inside France is our weekly look at some of the news, talking points and gossip in France that you might not have heard about. It's published each Saturday and members can receive it directly to their inbox, by going to their newsletter preferences or adding their email to the sign-up box in this article.
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