First up this week we'll look at how the killing of a young girl in south west France has sparked nationwide anger and protests and put the French governent under pressure to respond to a growing crisis around sexual violence towards children.

We'll also look ahead to 2070 and find out what the French population will look like then, we'll also examine whether France really is home to half of the world's .....roundabouts and we'll risk reawakening a centuries old bloody rivalry in France by asking where's better to live: Normandy or Brittany.

And we'll bring you some essential vocab if you are going to be in France during the football World Cup which kicks off this week.

Host Ben McPartland is joined as ever by the Team at The Local France - Emma Pearson, Emma Albright, French politics expert John Lichfield who joins from Normandy and special guest Katy Wright who will join us from Brittany.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this week's episode we will discuss the trouble you can get into in France for being sexist after one man was fined 55,000 euros for an ungentlemanly outburst.

We'll also find out why dramatic football victories in France end in scenes of violence, how the country is coming to terms with its involvement in the slave trade, but why it's unlikely the French government will be paying any reparations and how France is harnessing the power of the sun to boost its electricity supplies.

And we'll bring you some important French vocab and expressions that will be invaluable if you are travelling around France this summer.

Im Ben McPartland and this week I'll be harnessing the power of Emma Pearson, Emma Albright and our politics expert John Lichfield - who make up the team at The Local France.

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A reminder to listeners that on this podcast we only cover a few of the big talking points each week from France. If you want to stay informed of all the changes in France that affect residents and visitors as well as get some valuable advice and insights from fellow readers then visit thelocal.fr

Members get unlimited access to all our stories, which this week include articles on everything Americans need to know about driving in France, all the info you need on where and how you can watch the World Cup in France plus an explainer on the best Paris Metro passes to buy if you are visiting the French capital. It’s got a little more complicated since those cute little paper tickets were abolished.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As we recorded this episode, France is baking under a record-breaking May heatwave that has sadly proved deadly - at least seven people having died in incidents linked to the hot weather. We’ll get the latest on the weather and find out if it’s a sign that summer will be insufferable in France this year.

In this week’s show we’ll also hear about how France’s most iconic car is making a comeback and find out why owning a car perhaps isn’t really a necessity anymore if you live in France.

And we’ll get the lowdown on what’s been a mixed week for some of France’s presidential hopefuls.

And we’ll help you express yourself in French when you want to complain about the heat.

Host Ben McPartland is joined by the team at The Local France Emma Pearson, Emma Albright and our politics expert John Lichfield, plus special guest Katy Wright who chimes in from Brittany.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.