Latest news with #LaurenceRossignol
Daily Mirror
2 days ago
- Politics
- Daily Mirror
Livid parents call for adults-only holidays ban as 'no kids is discrimination'
A group of politicians in France are pushing for a ban on adults-only holidays in the country, arguing that the exclusion of children from such spaces is discrimination Parents and campaigners are calling for an end to adults -only holidays, branding the exclusion of children "violence". For many, the idea of a break away from the hubbub of a child-packed home where they can relax around the pool, a cocktail in hand and a book in the other, without the sound of infant wails shattering the silence, seems like a good time. For members of the growing pro-children-on-holiday movement in France, banning anyone of any age from accessing a certain hotel or resort is completely wrong. Laurence Rossignol, a socialist senator, is to table a private member's bill in the French senate that would make it illegal to ban children from such establishments, the Times reported. Sarah El Haïry, the French high commissioner for childhood, has said that government lawyers are looking into whether it would be possible to take legal action against places that exclude families. READ MORE: Ryanair introduces new route to 'beautiful' European city that's perfect for Christmas 'A child shouts, laughs and moves … we are institutionalising the idea that silence is a luxury and the absence of children is a luxury," she told the French international radio station RFI. Ms El Haïry criticised the 'no kids trend', claiming it amounted to 'violence against children'. Senator Rossignol added: "Children are not a nuisance. We cannot accept that some people decide they no longer want to tolerate a particular section of the population, in this case children. We cannot allow our society to be organised around our intolerance of others, where people organise themselves to keep their distance from anyone who does not fit into their idea of their neighbours." Travel Companies Union roughly estimates that three per cent of holiday venues in France are adult-only facilities. The topic of how children fit into society is a live one in France. The French Federation of Nurseries has made repeated calls to lawmakers to ensure children's right "to make noise". This has been coupled with rising concerns about how much screen time children have, while the High Council for Family, Children and Age has warned that a lack of space for kids to play outdoors could have "harmful consequences for their physical and mental health". Not everyone is happy with the idea of an adults-only holiday ban. Sara Lewis told the Guardian that she thinks a ban would be a 'totally unreasonable deprivation of people's liberty'. 'It amounts to forcing people to accept others' kids, of which there's more than enough of already,' the retired copyeditor from Brussels said. Emilie, a stay-at-home mother, agreed with the politicians that such holidays treated children as "pariahs", but questioned whether the ban would get to the root cause. In her opinion, it is wrong to create spaces where adults can live parallel lives free from children. 'I think it's more about the French relationship with children. There is a popular saying in France about children: Les enfants doivent être vus, et non entendus, which means children should be seen, not heard," Emilie said.
The Guardian
4 days ago
- Health
- The Guardian
French venues are in hot water for banning kids. Is adult-only a luxury or a necessity?
Hospitality venues in France such as hotels, restaurants and campsites that do not admit children could face prosecution under proposals for a crackdown that emerged this week. Laurence Rossignol, a socialist senator, plans to introduce a private member's bill to make it illegal to ban children from such establishments, the Times reported, while the French high commissioner for childhood, Sarah El Haïry, said government lawyers were looking into whether it would be possible to take legal action against places that exclude families. She told the French international radio station RFI that the move would address the 'no kids trend', which amounted to 'violence against children', adding: 'A child shouts, laughs and moves … we are institutionalising the idea that silence is a luxury and the absence of children is a luxury.' Here, four people from across Europe share their thoughts on the idea. Emilie, who is a stay-at-home mother, thinks it's 'healthy' that French politicians want to stop the trend that 'turns children into pariahs' but does not think a ban would deal with the root cause. 'I think it's more about the French relationship with children,' says the 39-year-old, who is French but lives in Southend-on-Sea, Essex. 'There is a popular saying in France about children: Les enfants doivent être vus, et non entendus, which means children should be seen, not heard.' From her experience, family life is important in France and children are taught manners when they are young and become used to eating in restaurants from an early age. There is, therefore, an expectation that children are well-behaved in public. Emilie is in two minds about a ban. One one hand she feels that people who do not want to be around children 'are not suddenly going to show patience because they are forced to cohabit with them'. However, she also believes children are part of everyday life and that 'adults can't build a parallel society that is free of children'. 'It's difficult but it's one of the reasons I want to stay in the UK. I think my son would be much happier growing up here than in France.' After each one of Jo's six IVF attempts were unsuccessful, she and her husband took a break to an adult-only hotel for a few days. 'We didn't want to constantly be faced with children and the reminder of what we wanted but couldn't achieve,' says the 40-year-old project manager from Lancashire. For Jo, the French proposals do not consider those who are childless not by choice. 'It's been five years since our final attempt at IVF, but my husband and I still get a bit upset sometimes thinking about how we couldn't have the children we thought we would have. 'It's not that we don't like them – we have five nephews – but when we're on holiday it's nice to know that we've got a somewhat safe space. It's about protecting yourself a bit.' Since being diagnosed with ME, also known as chronic fatigue syndrome, Jo is also more sensitive to noise than she used to be. 'Being out somewhere with loud children is not enjoyable for me at all – something I know other people with health issues or neurodivergence also struggle with.' Franz Peter Weeren, a retired hotelier and chef, thinks a ban would be 'absolutely ludicrous'. As someone who has worked in the hospitality industry since the 1980s, he says most of the problems he has faced with children were caused by parents who were unwilling or, more frequently, incapable of controlling their offspring when they misbehaved. 'One time a 12-year-old tripped over a waitress who was serving a tray full of cocktails and the parents just said: 'Oh well, they're children.' They kicked up a fuss when I upped their bill for damages,' recalls the 68-year-old from Paderborn, Germany. At the time, when Weeren was running an inn in Austria, he considered not allowing children under-14 in but realised he couldn't if his business was to be successful. Attracting more than 100 million visitors in 2024, France is the world's top tourist destination. However, Weeren thinks a proposed ban on adult-focused venues might cause a dip in its popularity. 'Some businesses will adapt but others will close rather than make any changes, and others just won't go to France because they want to enjoy a child-free environment.' Sara Lewis thinks a ban would be a 'totally unreasonable deprivation of people's liberty' and that the plan is too extreme. 'It amounts to forcing people to accept others' kids, of which there's more than enough of already,' says the retired copyeditor from Brussels. She believes it's time to end the stigmatisation of people who prefer to avoid children, and instead of adult-only venues she thinks 'specific child-tolerated places' might be better. For Lewis, the problem is not from children themselves but parents letting them do what they like and expecting others to put up with their behaviour. She feels parents should 'teach their children to be unobtrusive in public'. 'If I go to a restaurant, cafe or hotel I would expect other people, adults or children, to respect me as I would respect them,' Lewis says. 'Children by nature want to be lively and run around but that's not always appropriate, depending on the environment. In the same way that I wouldn't play opera music very loudly in public, as much as I like it.'
Daily Mail
28-05-2025
- Lifestyle
- Daily Mail
Adults-only hotels risk being BANNED in popular European country - as they are a 'threat to society'
Adults-only hotels, campsites and restaurants could be banned in France as part of a planned government crackdown. Sarah El Haïry, France's high commissioner for childhood, has said that the country's 'no kids trend' has caused 'violence against children', reports The Times. The commissioner said that people who complain about children being noisy are spreading the 'idea that children are a nuisance'. She claimed that adults-only venues were dividing society and putting pressure on parents. El Haïry told RTL: 'There is a growing intolerance and we must not allow it to take hold. 'It's not in our culture, it's not in our philosophy, and it's not what we want to see as the norm in our country.' She explained that government lawyers are currently looking at taking legal action against hotels that refuse to allow children. France 24 reports that adults-only venues currently represent around three per cent of the country's travel market. A socialist senator, Laurence Rossignol, is now planning to introduce a bill to make it illegal to ban children from venues. El Haïry is reportedly planning to bring together those in the travel industry to encourage them to take a 'pro-kids' approach. Adults-only venues - and flights - can be a divisive issue among travellers. A mother recently went viral after she slammed Japan Airlines for its controversial booking feature where people can see where babies are seated before picking their own seat. Sophie Kalimeridou, a 'mumfluencer' who specialises in family-friendly travel content, took to Instagram earlier this month to vent her frustration with the airline's policy after flying with her toddler daughter and young son. Sharing a video from her business class seat, she accused Japan Airlines of alienating parents and children in favour of passengers who prefer a quieter journey.
South China Morning Post
28-05-2025
- General
- South China Morning Post
Should adult-only hotels and restaurants be allowed? France considers banning them
The French government is mulling measures to clamp down on adult-only hotels and restaurants, with a top official warning that hospitality venues excluding children in a so-called 'no kids' strategy were dividing society. While Paris is considered one of the most child-friendly cities in the world, more venues in France have been shunning children in an effort to shield customers from kids' unpredictable behaviour and noise. The government this week held a round table meeting with key industry players to discuss a trend that France's high commissioner for childhood, Sarah El Hairy, has said should end. Socialist senator Laurence Rossignol has introduced a bill that would make it illegal to ban children from venues in France. We are pushing children and families out, and in a way, this is real violence. France's high commissioner for childhood, Sarah El Hairy 'Children are not a nuisance,' said Rossignol, adding that the bill is aimed at promoting 'a society that is open to children'.
Malay Mail
28-05-2025
- Health
- Malay Mail
‘Children are not a nuisance': France weighs crackdown on adult-only hotels and restaurants, urges society to be more inclusive
PARIS, May 28 — The French government is mulling measures to clamp down on adult-only hotels and restaurants, with a top official warning that hospitality venues excluding children in a so-called 'no kids' strategy were dividing society. While Paris is considered one of the most child-friendly cities in the world, more and more venues in France have been shunning children in an effort to shield customers from kids' unpredictable behaviour and noise. The government yesterday held a roundtable meeting with key industry players to discuss a trend that France's high commissioner for childhood, Sarah El Hairy, has said should end. Socialist senator Laurence Rossignol has introduced a bill that would make it illegal to ban children from venues in France. 'Children are not a nuisance,' said Rossignol, adding that the bill is aimed at promoting 'a society that is open to children'. 'We cannot accept that some people decide they no longer want to tolerate a particular section of the population, in this case children,' she told AFP. El Hairy said excluding children was infringing on their rights, putting pressure on their parents and dividing society. 'There is a growing intolerance, and we must not allow it to take hold,' El Hairy told broadcaster RTL. 'We are pushing children and families out, and in a way, this is real violence,' she added. 'It's not in our culture, it's not our philosophy, and it's not what we want to see as the norm in our country.' On Tuesday, she brought together representatives of the tourism and transport industries, including Airbnb, to discuss the 'no-kids' trend. In France, adult-only services are currently limited. According to estimates from a travel industry union, they represented around three percent of the market in 2024. Questions about children's place in society have been at the forefront of the public debate in France in recent years. The French Federation of Nurseries has repeatedly called on lawmakers to ensure children's right 'to make noise'. In the spring of 2024, a report submitted to President Emmanuel Macron said authorities needed to create alternatives to help children reduce the amount of screen time and 'give them back their rightful place, including their right to be noisy'. A few months later, the government's High Council for Family, Children and Age (HCFEA) warned about the lack of spaces for children, pointing to the 'harmful consequences for their physical and mental health'. Rossignol praised El Hairy's initiative to gather together tourism and transport executives, but said more needed to be done. 'Now we need to go further,' she said. 'The president's camp must put this issue on the parliamentary agenda.' — AFP
